The New Girl
by The Blue Raven
Summary: As Tavi works towards a cure for the virus, Max discovers that the new girl at work is the X5 ‘sister’ whom Max thought had died in the breakout. PG 13 for TaviCindy relationship and some dark moments later on ... All chapters up
1. Jinx

THE NEW GIRL

Summary: As Tavi works towards a cure for the virus, Max discovers that the new girl at work is one of her X5 'sisters' whom Max thought had died in the breakout.

Rating: PG-13 for Tavi/Cindy closeness (which doesn't bother me but some people are touchy so be warned if you are) and some dark moments.

Disclaimer: I don't own, Max, Cindy, Logan, et al. I just enjoy getting inside of their heads from time to time.

Note: Tavi is an ex-Manticore doctor who first appears in "Saints and Demons". It's not necessary to read that one to understand this one, however.

The New Girl

**Chapter 1 -- Jinx**

"Excuse, me, sir?" 

Normal looked up at the pretty young woman. Blue jeans and a black turtleneck, both very form-fitting. Black hair that probably reached her waist. Enormous gray eyes. He noted but was unimpressed by these traits. The only thing that interested him was the respectful look in those enormous eyes. "Yeah?"

"Your sign, outside, it says that you need a new delivery rider, sir?"

"That's right. You know your way around the city?"

She nodded gravely. "Yes, sir. I believe so."

"You're hired. Follow someone around today until you get the hang of things, then you can start making solo-runs tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." She smiled brightly. "Thank you, sir."

"You can fill out your tax-forms after work." Normal returned his attention to the ledger. "Hot run!" he called.

"I'm on it!" Alec called. "Well, _hello._"

"Um... hello." She eyed Alec uncertainly.

"I'm Alec and you're new. How about if I show you around?"

"Hey, Alec, isn't _that_ the reason we need new people?" Max grinned at him. "I'll take care of her, Normal." 

"Thanks, Max."

"No problem. Package?"

"Here." Normal tossed her one without looking up from the ledger.

"Everything okay, Normal?"

"Fine, yeah."

Max frowned uncertainly for a minute before turning her attention to the new girl. She seemed very young. "Hi, I'm Max. What's your name?"

"Jinx, ma'am."

Max raised an eyebrow. The name, although she could not immediately place it, sounded familiar. "Cool name. Bikes are over here. You ever ride before?"

She shook her head hesitantly. "But I'm a fast learner."

"Well, don't let Normal know that you can't ride until you already can." Max smiled at her and pulled down a pair of bikes. "I think this one'll work for you."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Max stared steadily at her. "It's Max."

She blushed and bowed her head. "Max. Right."

"Here, wheel your bike outside." 

She nodded and began to. "I really do know my way around quite well..." she began softly. "I'm sure I'll be quite useful to Mister Normal."

Max sniggered at the phrase 'Mister Normal' but still smiled at Jinx. "The guy who was hitting on you inside is Alec. Stay away from him. He's bad news."

"Max, you wound me!" Alec laid a dramatic hand on his chest. "And just when I thought we were beginning to understand each other..." He shook his head sadly.

"Oh, she understands you perfectly well, Sugar. That's why she feels compelled to warn the young lady about you." 

Max grinned. "Jinx, this is Cindy and Alec."

"It's very nice to meet both of you." She smiled at them.

It was, Alec observed, the kind of smile that could light up an entire room. "It's nice to meet you, too... Jinx." He grinned at her.

She eyed him suspiciously for a second, but nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Alec."

Cindy smiled gently at her. "Boo, ain't no 'sirs' and 'ma'ams' around here."

She smiled shyly. "I'll do my best to remember that, Cindy."

"Good girl." Cindy smiled at her. "You from around here?"

"Not originally, but my family moved here when I was very young."

"Cool." Cindy smiled at her and patted her shoulder.

"Anyone notice anything strange about Normal?" Max asked suddenly frowning at him.

"No, what?" Cindy asked.

"We've been standing around talking for five minutes and he hasn't even yelled at us."

Alec nodded. "Maybe he's sick."

"I wonder..." Max frowned. 

"Max!" Alec said in disgust. "Just once, can't you stop worrying about everyone but yourself?"

"Maybe later. Right now, I've got a new kid to train. Come on, Jinx."

"See you, Jinx."

"Good-bye, Cindy."

"Bye, Cutie."

"Alec."

Max shook her head and took Jinx by the shoulder. "Come on."

"Why does he do that?" Jinx asked softly as they left the building.

"What was he doing?"

"He kept looking at me strange."

"He thinks you're cute."

"Oh." She frowned. "Do you think if I tell him that I'm only a kid he'll leave me alone?"

"Depends on if you're legal or not."

"Not."

"Then you might have a chance." Max stopped and stared. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Oh. You look a little older."

"I get that sometimes." She smiled apologetically. "It's useful."

"Yeah?" Max asked.

She nodded. "Like when you need a job or whatever. They won't hire a kid, but if they think you're in your twenties, they probably will."

Max smiled. "Neat."

She nodded. "I think so. So, how do you work one of these?"

"Put your leg around it like this... You've really never ridden on a bike before?"

"No. When I need to get somewhere I walk."

"What about when you need to get somewhere fast?"

"Then I run."

Max grinned at her. "I guess that makes sense. Here, just pull yourself up onto the seat. Just like me. That's good."

"Thank you."

"Max?" a skinny woman called, walking towards them. She smiled at Max. "Good morning, lovely."

"Oh, hi, Tavi!" Max grinned at her. "Jinx, this is Tavi. Tavi, Jinx."

"Jinx? That's interesting. Is it short for something?"

She nodded gravely. "Jinee. Jinee Xavier."

Tavi smiled. "It's pretty either way. It's good to meet you, Jinx. Oh, Max..."

"If you're looking for Cindy, she's inside."

"Actually, I was hoping that..." Tavi lowered her voice, "I need a little blood."

Max rolled her eyes. "Not again, Tavi!" she protested with a groan. "Can it at least wait until tonight?"

"I'm afraid not, Max. Not if I can possibly get it sooner."

"Okay. Come back over my lunch hour and you can stick me all you want."

"Thank you, Max, and I'm sorry." Tavi smiled gently at her. "And you said that Cindy is inside?"

Max nodded. "You feeling okay? You look like you're losing weight, and that would be a bad thing for you."

Tavi bowed her head. "Maybe I haven't been sleeping enough, lovely. I've been spending most of my free time getting a crash-course in immunology."

"That sounds fascinating!" Jinx said, and she meant it.

"Do you know anything about it?" Tavi asked hopefully.

"My parents kind of are into virology and stuff. Were."

"Were?" Tavi and Max asked at the same time.

She nodded. "Before they died."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Tavi smiled sadly at her. 

"So, you're all alone?" Max asked.

Jinx nodded. "But I do okay."

"Well, I want you to get to know Tavi, and Cindy, and I very well. We'll take care of you."

She smiled, but said, "I can look after myself okay."

"Well, then, can we just be friends?" Max asked.

"I'd like that."

"Good." Tavi patted her shoulder and started into Jam Pony. "It was nice to meet you, Jinx."

"You as well, ma'am."

"Hey, are you coming over tonight?" Max asked.

"You bet." Tavi grinned at her. "I'll even cook."

"Mind if I invite Jinx?"

"Not in the least. Chao!" Tavi waved once and left the street.

"So, you want to come?" Max asked. "Tavi's cooking has to be tasted to be believed."

"I'd like that." Jinx smiled.

"Great. I've got an errand or two to run after work, so if you don't mind going home with Cindy..."

"That's fine." She nodded. 

"Great. Come on."

"Um... you still haven't shown me how to make it go forward."

Max grinned. "Right, pedaling."

***

"Hey, kids." Tavi waved at Cindy and Alec as she entered.

"Well, if it isn't the good doctor." Alec grinned at her.

"If you're looking for Max, baby, she just left."

"I know. I ran into her outside. I've got to do some blood-work later on." Tavi smiled. "So, I thought as long as I was in the neighborhood, I'd stop by and say hi."

"'Say hi', huh?" Alec grinned. "Is _that_ what they call it now? And can I watch?"

Tavi rolled her eyes. "Ray looks distracted."

Cindy nodded. "Max was mentioning that."

"I hope everything's okay. He seems like a nice enough guy."

Cindy snorted. "Are we talking about the same Normal?"

"The one who thinks that Max is a member of S1W?" Alec added.

"When everyone knows that _you_ have much closer ties to Asha than Max does."

"Yeah, well, I'd thank you not to mention that around my boss." Alec patted her on the shoulder and wandered off.

"So, how's it going?"

"Fine, Cindy."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's try that again. How are you?"

"A little tired..." Tavi admitted. "But otherwise fine."

Cindy smiled and shook her head. "And how's your search for a cure going?"

Tavi sighed. "Not as well as I would have hoped. Basically, Cindy, I've got nothing but a freezer full of dead rats to show for my efforts."

"Get an owl!" Alec suggested.

"_Shut up_!" Tavi returned.

Normal looked up, apparently a little startled by the sound of an un-familiar voice in _his_ place. He looked around and his face sank as he saw Tavi. He walked up to her. "I know you. You're that CDC doctor who was sniffing around a few months ago."

"I am." She smiled and shook his hand. "It's good to see you again, Ray. Everything well, I hope?"

"Well, Max hasn't taken a sick-day since she got better if that's--"

"Oh, no, not at all." She smiled to reassure him. "It's just a routine follow-up. I've been tracking the sick patients and drawing their blood every couple of weeks just to be sure."

"Oh, and did you ever..."

Tavi said quickly, "No. We never did. Thus the repeated blood-draws."

"You aren't, um... planning..."

"To close you down?" Tavi smiled reassuringly and took his arm, steering him back towards the desk. "No, of course not. Logan was, of course, quite correct. No one else at your place of business got sick when Max did, so there's no real reason to assume that it's endemic to this location. Naturally, a bike-messenger _would_ be at greater risk..."

Normal looked relieved. "That's comforting."

Tavi smiled at him. "You seem stressed."

"Oh, just... busy. We recently lost two of our couriers. They quit!" he added hastily.

Tavi laughed gently. "Forgive me. I know it's not funny that two of your people quit. Just your... your face when you said it..."She shook her head.

"Sorry." Normal grinned at her. "I know that I'm acting... the way I am. It's just been a long month."

"And the month is early still. Forgive me for troubling you. I'll just wait around for Max if you don't mind."

"By all means." 

"Thank you, Ray. Have a nice day." She watched him return to his ledger and quickly become as absorbed in it as before. 

"Did you see the look on his face?" Cindy chuckled.

"It's not funny." Tavi shook her head, smiling at Cindy. "Poor guy. We have so successfully screwed with the man's head that he actually gets nervous around little old me..."

"Sounds like his head's screwed on straight to me..." Alec observed.

"No one asked you." Tavi rolled her eyes. "Cindy, how does Max get rid of him?"

"Usually she just insults him until he gets bored and goes."

"That sounds... inefficient." Tavi frowned. "Oh, I know! A threat..."

"A threat?" Alec rolled his eyes at her. "There is no threat that _you_ could make that would scare _me_."

"Really? How about this one? 'Alec, go away or I will tell Sketchy that you are a transgenic'? Does that work for you?"

Alec laughed. "You're a funny woman, doc." Shaking his head, he wandered off.

"Damn, he knew I was bluffing." Tavi shook her head.

"He still left." Cindy grinned. "Which means that it's just the two of us..."

"Oh, the possibilities." Tavi smiled at her. "Anywhere... private in this place?"

Cindy nodded. "Thought you'd never ask."

***

"This is fun!" Jinx announced with a smile. 

"Yeah, it gets old after a while..." Max grumbled, although she could not help but smile at the young girl's eagerness. "I can't believe you never had a bike!"

"Bikes are dangerous."

"That's what helmets are for."

"I could still break a wrist."

"Oh, so your parents were..."

"Pretty touchy about my personal safety. I haven't done a lot of the things that I would like to."

"Don't worry, you will." Max smiled at her. "You ever been on top of the Space Needle?"

"That thing?" Jinx pointed in awe. "Have you? What's it like?"

"Nice. Peaceful. If you remind me some time, I'll show you how to get up there."

Jinx smiled. "Oh, I'd like that..."

"Good. We'd better go back, now."

"Aw, do we have to?"

"This _is_ a job, Jinx."

"Right." She nodded. "Then I guess we'd better go back."

Max smiled at her and nodded. "Come on. Remember how to do u-turns?"

"Uh-huh. Like this."

"No! Not like--" Max trailed off as Jinx flipped the bike and landed face-down on the pavement. She jumped off of her bike and knelt next to the girl. "Hold still. I just want to make sure you didn't break anything."

"I'm okay. Leave me alone!" Jinx groaned. She tried to wave Max's hands away.

"Just hold still!" Max snapped. "I won't hurt you."

"Please..." Jinx stopped as she felt Max's fingers on the back of her neck. Her bare neck. "Stop! Don't!"

"X5-805. Jinx..." Max breathed. No wonder the name had seemed familiar.

Jinx recoiled and looked ready to start running. "Please..." she breathed, rising slowly.

"No, don't!" Max held up her hands. "Look." She turned around and pulled up her hair. "Look."

Jinx stared. "X5-452? Max, of course..." She stared in awe. "But..."

"I thought you were dead..." Max breathed. "I saw you get shot. I saw you go through the ice."

"Falling through the ice saved me. The hypothermia and then the river swept me away from the base. I stumbled a few miles after I pulled myself from the river and then I collapsed, but the cold kept me from bleeding much, so when this nice old couple found me, they took me to the hospital and my life was saved."

"Where did you go? Even Zack didn't know you were alive."

"I hid. In Mexico for a while. I figured it would be as good a place as any to build an identity for myself. Once the Pulse hit, I had no desire to return to the cold for a long time. I did well for myself in Mexico. I did what I do best."

"Medicine? I remember." Max smiled. "I still have the scars, but I remember."

"Well, they taught me how to prevent death, not make pretty incisions." Jinx bowed her head. "Sorry about the scars, though. I don't leave them any more."

"What did you do in Mexico, exactly?"

"Well, before the Pulse, I mostly did veterinary work. Afterwards, there were the riots, and I spent a lot of time patching up cuts and bruises. Once the economy destabilized, I expanded into surgery and all kinds of things. I taught myself a fair bit about cardiology and neurology, too. And immunology, too, actually. I've learned all kinds of stuff they never let me learn on the inside."

"But... why are you here?"

"About a year ago, rumors started to reach me that Manticore had burned down and that it would be safe to go back. A business associate first brought the existence of Eyes Only to my knowledge. From what he said, I figured that there must be at least a few of my brothers and sisters here, so I came. I had no clue that looking for you would be so hard, though. I've been at it for months, and when I _do _find one of you, it's by chance." She shook her head.

"Well, that always was how your luck worked..." Max observed gently. "We should go back if you think you can ride."

"Did I hurt the bike?"

"No, it's fine."

She smiled at Max. "Then we should go back. And you must tell me everything."

***

_"There. We all have names."_

_It was Max who pointed out what the others had forgotten. "805 still needs a name."_

_They stared at the girl, the youngest of them, the field-medic who had a habit of accidentally stabbing herself with the scalpel while trying to patch up their injuries. _

_"She's our field-medic. What about Patches?" Ben suggested, caressing the hair on his baby sister's head._

_Zack shook her head. "No, I don't think that's quite right. What do you think, Max?"_

_"I think we should let 805 decide."_

_"No one picks their own name!" Krit protested. _

_"None of us have!" Syl added._

_"I only mean she should get to say if she likes it. The way we've all decided that we like our new names." Max crossed her arms over her chest, daring them to talk back. She may have been almost as small as 805, but she was the best fighter of all, save only Zack. "Do you like Patches?"_

_She scratched absently at her black eye. She always had some injury or other, usually the result of some careless accident. "Zack is right. It's _not _appropriate."_

_"What then?" Zane asked._

_Jondy smiled at her baby sister and touched her fingers to the black eye. "Jinx."_

_805 giggled and smiled lovingly at Jondy. "I like that."_

_"Me, too." Zack nodded._

_"Then I guess it's settled?" Ben asked. "Does anyone not like it?"_

_Jinx smiled. "I think it's perfect." _

_Max nodded and hugged Jinx. "I agree." She looked up suddenly. "Someone's--"_

_"Kids?" It was Doctor Jericho. They gave a collective sigh of relief. At least it was not Colonel Lydecker. Doctor Jericho smiled at them. "What are you doing up so late? Lights out was twenty minutes ago."_

_"We were just playing a game!" Jinx said quickly. _

_Max squeezed her hand gently to quiet her. "We were just about to bunk down, Doctor Jericho, I promise."_

_Doctor Jericho smiled indulgently. "Very well, lovelies. Bunk down now, and, whatever you do, do _not_ let the guards hear you talking." With that warning, she left._

_"She doesn't care at all if we bunk down or not." Max smiled at the awareness._

_"Of course she does!" Ben protested. "She told us to."_

_"She only cared if the guards could hear us..." Jinx smiled at Max. "She likes us."_

_Zack smiled and nodded. "If she likes us, we'd best do what she says and keep it that way." _

_In the dark barracks, the cluster of children on the exercise-mat huddled closer together and lowered their voices._

_"Well, now that we all have names, what do we do?" Max asked in a whisper._

_It was Jinx who answered. "Ben, tell us your story about the Blue Lady again."_


	2. Like Old Times

**Chapter 2 -- Like Old Times**

"Wait, I don't understand, so Jinx is... Jinx?" Tavi asked as she drew Max's blood. "It's... it's unbelievable that she could have survived getting shot like that and then falling through the ice."

"She says that's what saved her."

Tavi sighed and placed a cotton-swab over the needle before pulling it out. She applied pressure to the swab. "Did you tell her... does she know?"

Max nodded. "I didn't mean to tell her, but she kind of figured it out once I started talking about you. It's okay, though. She always _liked_ Doctor Jericho..."

"Lucky me." Tavi finished labeling the tubes of blood and taped the cotton onto Max's arm. She looked around. "Where'd she go?"

"She's talking to Normal." Alec walked up to them and slid an arm around Tavi's waist. Tavi glared at him. 

"Hand." She caught his wrist between her thumb and index finger and squeezed, causing Alec to drop to his knees. 

He did not look like he was in pain, only a little surprised. "Neat trick. So, is what I heard true?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. She's an X5."

"Young, isn't she?"

"Yeah." Tavi nodded. "She's only fifteen. She was one of the last before we started production on the X6's."

Alec nodded, looking impressed. "Cool."

"What is she talking to Normal about?" Tavi asked.

"I don't know. I didn't hang around after she said 'your books are a mess'. It seemed like a good time to leave."

"She didn't..." Max sighed. "I wonder if Logan can find her a job."

"Why is she no longer practicing medicine?" Tavi asked.

"She thinks the black-market here is too dangerous. In Mexico, no one batted an eyelash at under-the-table medicine. Here, it's a crime _and_ you have rivals to worry about."

"Hmm... Well, I could use a lab-tech." 

"Tavi, you're a genius!" Max grinned at her.

Tavi smiled and nodded placidly. "You'd better go rescue Jinx from the wrath of Normal."

Max grinned and nodded. "Trust Jinx to find a new way to get herself into trouble less than an hour after she gets the job."

"Oh, that's right. She always was a clumsy one. I'd forgotten."

"Yeah, but never when there was a life on the line. Never with anyone else."

Tavi nodded. "She drove the Psychiatric Corps crazy. They were convinced that she was doing it on purpose."

"Really?" Max frowned. "I never knew that."

"Well, Deck and I convinced them that it was just nervousness and would pass."

"It hasn't. She spilled off of her bike on our way back from the run."

"Oh, good lord." Tavi shook her head. "The poor baby. I'm off. See you ladies tonight."

Max nodded. "Well, I'd better go rescue her before she makes Normal cry." She walked to the front desk. "Where's Normal?" she asked Sketchy.

"In the office with the new girl. You don't think she's in trouble already?"

"Jinx? Nah. Couldn't possibly be." Max ducked around the desk and put her hand on the doorknob.

"You really think so?" Normal's voice asked inside the office. His voice sounded eager.

"Oh, positive." Jinx's voice was its typical, assured self. "Absolutely. It'll streamline your overhead and take a great deal of strain off of your staff, which will, by itself, increase productivity by almost 8%."

Max pulled away from the door, grinning. She may have been accident-prone, but she also had a habit of coming out of accidents better than she went into them. Shaking her head, she rejoined Cindy and Alec.

"So?" Cindy asked.

"She's teaching him how to streamline overhead and increase morale and productivity."

"I see." Cindy, who obviously did not see, blinked in confusion. 

Alec laughed and shook his head. "Your little friend is an... interesting woman, Max."

Max smiled. "She has her moments."

***

"An X5?" Logan asked, keeping pressure on his arm until Tavi could bandage it. "Are you sure?" 

"Positive. Jinx. I think I told you about her."

"Right." Logan nodded. "They never found the body, but you said that she must have died."

"I was wrong. Not the first time, certainly." Tavi sighed.

"You look tired. And you're losing weight."

"I'm fine. Just... preoccupied."

"By Jinx?" he asked, frowning.

"By you."

"Ah."

"Yeah." Tavi nodded. "Sorry."

"No luck, then?"

"None at all, yet, for which I am sorry." Tavi sighed and walked into the kitchen. "You got anything to drink?"

"Water and milk."

"That's a big, fat no."

"When did you start drinking, Tav?"

"Years ago. Didn't you know?"

"I didn't. Sorry." Logan smiled at her. "Look, I want you to pop off to the guest-room and take a nap. God knows you could use one."

"Sure. Put these in the fridge, could you?"

Logan took the vials of blood and carried them to the refrigerator. "I could make you some warm-milk..." he offered.

"Nah, I don't even need it." Tavi shook her head. "Thanks, though. Hug?"

Smiling, Logan hugged his old friend. "Sleep well, okay. I'll wake you up in time for dinner."

"Jinx is coming, I told you that?"

"Twice, Tav, now go get some sleep."

She nodded and picked up her bag. "I told Max that the blood couldn't wait because I was going straight to the lab after I got it."

"Well, you can just tell her that a crazed cyber-journalist forced you to take a nap at gunpoint." Logan grinned at her. "You know the way?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Lo."

"Sleep tight, Tav."

"Yeah." She nodded and walked to the guest-room. 

She shut the door and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off her shoes and clothes. She folded her clothes neatly and left them on the dresser, next to her bag. She paused for a minute and decided that she was not going to be able to sleep, knowing that she had work to do, unless she took an Ambien. She looked around for the bottle and could not find it. Sighing, she picked up a vial of medicine and pulled a little into a syringe before injecting it into her arm. She capped the syringe and returned to the bed.

"Damn, I hate shots..." she muttered as she settled down.

When Logan checked on her ten minutes later, she was snoring softly. He smiled and walked over to her. He must have spent ten minutes staring down at the woman before he realized what he was doing and left.

***

_"Mom, Dad, this is Tavi." Logan smiled proudly as he introduced her to his folks for the first time. They had, of course, heard all about her, but since she had been away so much recently with her new job, they had never met face to face._

_Mrs. Cale smiled widely as she shook the young woman's hand. "It's so wonderful to finally meet you, Tavinia. Logan is forever speaking of you."_

_Tavi blushed with pleasure and grinned at Logan. It was a side-ways, teasing expression that, in later years, she would almost forget how to make. Now, young and happy and with the world at her feet, it was one of her more common looks. "Really? Now, when we're together, he can't seem to stop talking of the two of you." _

_Logan blushed and slid an arm around Tavi's waist. "Well, this is her, guys. The woman I'm going to marry. Questions? Comments?"_

_Mr. Cale laughed and shook his head. "Our son the journalist."_

_"Don't worry, I'll make an honest man out of him yet." Tavi smiled at Mr. Cale._

_Mr. Cale smiled right back. "Um, that I'll believe when I see it."_

_Mrs. Cale laughed. "Darling! It's not nice to tease."_

_"Mom, I don't think he's teasing." Logan laughed and winked at his mother._

_"I see..." She eyed her husband thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "Logan tells us you're on vacation, dear?"_

_"That's right." Tavi nodded. "For about five days."_

_"Wonderful. That'll be plenty of time for us to get to know each other." She glanced at her watch. "And we can start now. We have tea and Logan and I made cookies."_

_"Logan tells us you're in the military?" Mr. Cale asked over tea._

_Tavi quickly swallowed the oatmeal cookie she had been enjoying and nodded, sipping her tea to clear her mouth. "That's right. Only a Captain right now."_

_"_Only_?" Mr. Cale laughed. "Logan, it's good to see that your fiancé isn't too ambitious."_

_"Aw, dad!" Logan laughed. "Captain's what they _give_ doctors. Right away."_

_"You're a doctor?" Mrs. Cale asked, smiling. "But, you seem so young."_

_"Oh, I'm Logan's age. We went to high-school together for a year, but I'm... a fast learner, I guess."_

_"And now you're a doctor?" Mr. Cale asked. "Wow."_

_Tavi blushed and bowed her head. "It's just a matter of being good at one particular thing. Logan's good at Journalism... and dancing. I'm good at putting things back together when they get broken." She shrugged. Honestly, she saw no difference between the two._

_"So, you treat our soldiers?" Mr. Cale asked. "Noble calling."_

_Tavi bowed her head. "Actually, I'm only a pediatrician at this point. But who knows... maybe one day soon I'll be treating soldiers."_

_"Maybe you'll even have some of the same patients?" Mr. Cale suggested._

_Tavi hesitated for a split second before responding. "It's not at all unlikely, Mr. Cale."_

_Logan stared sideways at her. Why had her voice caught like that?_

_"So, you privy to any top-secret information that could kick off our son's journalism career in a big way?"_

_Tavi laughed softly and shook her head. "Maybe some day, sir." _

_A maid walked in and announced that there was a phone call for Miss Jericho. One Colonel Lydecker. _

_"Better get that. Sounds urgent." Mr. Cale rose as Tavi rose. _

_"I hope it's nothing serious..." Mrs. Cale said with a slight frown. "Surely they won't call her back to work, Logan?"_

_"No, mom... She talks about the Colonel all the time. He probably just wants to make sure she arrived in one piece." _

_"Sir?" Tavi asked softly. "Is everything okay?"_

_"Yeah, Tav. Everything's just fine right now. See that it stays that way."_

_Tavi frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."_

_"Remain outwardly calm. You didn't think they'd let you go _anywhere_ that they can't keep tabs on you."_

_Tavi frowned and glanced around the room for the microphone that must be hidden there. "I see, sir. Thank you."_

_"Just... mind yourself, Tav. I can't afford to lose you." There was a slight pause. "The project can't afford to lose you."_

_"Good to know, sir."_

_"I mean it, Tav. Watch yourself there. Don't get any ideas about coming clean to that fiancé of yours."_

_"Wouldn't dream of it, sir. Doubt he'd understand."_

_"Good." There was another pause. "Pleasant flight?"_

_"I was airsick the whole way."_

_"So I heard."_

_Tavi cringed and began running her hands over her clothes. There was only one place that they could have hidden the bug without worrying about her noticing it. She'd need a new pair of shoes at once. "Thank you, sir."_

_"Enjoy your vacation, Tav."_

_"Thank you, sir."_

_"Stay safe."_

_"And you, sir. How are the kids?"_

_"Doing well. Although... Do you have  a minute?"_

_"For the kids, always."_

_"Some of them have started telling _stories_."_

_"And?"_

_"And..." Lydecker made an annoyed sound. "Not normal, Tav."_

_"Of course it is, Deck. They're kids. It's what they do. Just record the stories for me. I'll review them when I get back."_

_"Thanks, Tav. Have a nice vacation."_

_"Thanks, Deck. See you Monday."_

_When she hung up the phone and turned around, Logan was leaning against the wall. "What was that all about?" he asked._

_"Nothing much. Some of my kids are... acting funny."_

_"Funny how?"_

_"Just..." She shrugged. "You know how kids can be."_

_Logan walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "Not first-hand, but I look forward to finding out."_

_"Logan, your _parents _are two rooms over!"_

_Logan grinned and kissed her. "Yeah, and I'll give you three guesses on how I got into the world."_

_She laughed and pushed him gently away. "Tonight. After they've gone to sleep. We'll... _talk_ about it."_

_"Talk? Closest we've come yet."_

_"Shh!" Tavi shook her head. "Come on. Your folks will be waiting."_

***

That had been the first warning-sign. Even before they had named each other, there had been the stories. Tavi would never forget those first anxious weeks, listening to the tapes about the 'Nomlies in the basement and trying to figure out if it _was_, in fact, normal, or if her kids were going psychotic, as Deck had told her occasionally occurred. She had her own worries as well, above and beyond those being caused by her kids. She was being electronically monitored. Her fiancé was being electronically monitored. And the whole 'fiancé' thing... She felt like she was going mad.

She had warned Logan, of course, about the bugs. She had suggested that, if he had any extra-curricular activities that he did not want the world to know about, he should find a different place to do them than his home. She had even showed him how to scan for the listening devices and what the most likely places for them to hide were. He had reacted as if he were afraid that she _was_ going mad, until she had pulled two tiny mikes off of his computer. She had even showed him the one in the sole of her shoe before judiciously replacing it.

Logan had been understandably horrified. This, of course, was well before he had started his 'Eyes Only' career. It was also, more than any one event, the one he would cite in later years as being his trigger for creating Eyes Only. On that visit, Tavi often wore her bugged shoes, and said very little of any real relevance to Logan. Obviously, he knew that something was going on, but when that something came to light, it would be a complete surprise for him.

By her next visit, they trusted her enough not to place listening-devices in her clothing. The ones in the guest-room, and in Logan's room, and the dining room remained, but she doubted if they even bothered listening to the recordings that they made. Deck trusted her. By extension, everyone else was forced to trust her.

***

_"I don't believe it!" Logan hissed. They had gone for a hike and Tavi was quietly explaining to Logan exactly what her position as a 'pediatrician' _really_ involved._

_"I have the proof, Lo." Tavi sighed. She could not believe that she was doing this, but if anyone had a right to know, it was Logan Cale, her best friend._

_"Okay..." Logan sighed and stopped walking. "You sure they haven't bugged your shoes again?"_

_She nodded. "Positive. I bought these at the airport. How convenient that I _forgot_ my sneakers."_

_Logan laughed. "When did you get this... underhanded."_

_"Oh, Lo, I'm hurt..." she said in a flat voice. "Like you didn't know this about me in high-school when you helped me hack into my permanent records." She sighed. "Lo..."_

_"How can you live like this? Aren't you afraid?"_

_"Of course I am!" Tavi shook her head and started walking again. "Mostly just for you, though. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, do you have any idea how dangerous knowing me is, Lo?"_

_"I'm beginning to get an idea, yeah. I found three more bugs in my computer before you got here. I was scared to remove them, Tav."_

_"Don't. Leave them there. They can't suspect that you know about them. Just... buy a new computer."_

_Logan smiled. "Now you're speaking my language."_

_They walked in silence for almost half an hour before Tavi spoke again. "Logan, you know I'll always love you?"_

_"Tav, you do _not_ have permission to break up with me like this."_

_Tavi shrugged. "Whatever. Another time."_

_"Yeah, just not now. I'm too happy." Logan sighed. "Or, I was happy. Now I feel like shit." He shook his head. "Can you _prove_ the things you've told me about these kids?"_

_"Of course I can. I have it all right here." She held up one of the new micro-disks. "I made you a copy. It even has pictures."_

_Logan accepted the disk with a shaking hand. "Now we can expose them and they'll never bother you again."_

_Tavi laughed. It was already becoming a rare sound from her lips. "It doesn't work like that. We expose them and no one believes us, they kill us. We expose them and people believe, they kill us _and_ the kids. Can't let that happen, Logan."_

_"These people are monsters! They should be stopped!" And they will be, one day. "Just... not yet. The time is... wrong and we are not the people to do it. Just... study the disk for me."_

_"Why? Why if not to bring them down?"_

_"Because if even one person _knows_ then they've already lost. One of these days, the time will be right, just not yet."_

_Logan sighed and pocketed the disk. "Mom wants to know if you're coming to church with us on Sunday."_

_She nodded. "Yeah. I need to go to confession."_

_Logan sighed and they walked on. When they reached the car, Logan opened the door and helped Tavi inside. "Tav..." he began gently. He paused and started over. "Tav, as long as I live, I _will_ take care of you. No matter what happens between us, I will be there for you. All you have to do is call."_

_Tavi smiled at him and kissed him gently. "Thanks, Lo. That's... comforting."_

***

Tavi awoke with a start and stared around the darkening guest-room anxiously. Max had once confided that she hated dreaming because her dreams were usually just memories and seldom good ones. Tavi was beginning to understand the sentiment. Every time she closed her eyes now, she found herself living a memory. One night it might be Logan. Another night it might be watching her brother die of Gulf-War syndrome. The night after, memories of the children. All she could ever really be sure of was that the memories were unlikely to be pleasant ones.

Shaking, she rose and pulled her clothes on. Logan was puttering around in the kitchen, humming to himself. "May I have this dance?"

Logan smiled and made sure that everything was coming along nicely before following Tavi into the living room. "I've missed our dances. You were always my favorite partner."

"Really? Max included?"

Logan blushed. "Max and I have only ever danced in our dreams."

Tavi smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Lo."

Logan shook his head and slid his arms around her. "What dance?"

"Maybe we should have some music..." Tavi suggested.

Logan nodded. "I think so." He walked over to the CD player. "I have... Vivaldi--"

Tavi interrupted before he could read the rest of the CDs, "Smash Mouth."

Logan turned around slowly, grinning. "Do you remember the first time you came to visit me after you got the job at Manticore?"

Tavi grinned and nodded. "Actually, it was the second time. After I told you. I thought your parents were going to have a heart-attack when they woke up early one morning and found us in the library dancing to... oh, what was the song?"

"'All Star'."

"Not the 'I'm a Believer' remix?"

"I don't think so. I doubt it mattered to them quite as much as the fact that we were both dead drunk and dancing around the library at 5:00 in the morning to the musical stylings of Smash Mouth."

She nodded. "You could have a point there, although, technically, it was more like staggering than dancing at that point. But, it could have been worse. At least it wasn't Puff Doggy."

Logan stared at her. "Hey, um, sorry about getting all drunk on you like that, by the way. I guess I should have been more composed, but, to this day, I have never been quite as freaked out as I was when you showed me proof that Manticore was real." Logan laughed and shook his head and riffled through the pile of CDs until he found it. "I still have it. Check this out." Grinning, he carried the CD case over to her and opened it. He pulled out the CD and Tavi saw the micro-disk nestled underneath it. "Christ, Logan, that's a..."

"Stupid place for it." He nodded. "I know. At the time it seemed terribly clever, and quite like I was thumbing my nose at Manticore."

Tavi shook her head. "Not smart, Logan."

"There are worse places for it." Logan shrugged. "Not that it matters any more."

"No, I guess it doesn't. Still seems weird, doesn't it?"

"We're not dancing..." Logan noted, replacing the CD in its container and returning it to the pile.

"Grab something depressing."

Logan shrugged and picked up a CD by The Cure. "Well, this is about as depressing as the music of our era comes."

"Good. Plug it in."

Logan plugged the CD into the player and walked over to Tavi. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. "Just when I get used to Max, another one of my kids pops up to throw me off my game." She shook her head. "Damn, Logan, I feel like I'm loosing it."

"That's okay," Logan assured her, "I lost it a long time ago."

"Funny." Tavi made a face at him.

"I wasn't joking, Tav. In case you've failed to notice, the world is not the safe, happy place that we used to think it was in high school. There is no security except the kind you can buy with a gun and with money. That realization is enough to drive anyone mad."

Tavi sighed and nodded. "Guess so. But... with me it should be different. I've spent the last ten years running and with a price on my head. I should be... relieved."

"Here's a scary thought." Logan wrapped his arms around her. "What if you _are_?"

"If this is what it feels like, I think I want the price on my head back." Tavi leaned against him. "Remember how much fun we used to have dancing?"

He nodded. "I don't get to dance much anymore."

"You could if you wanted to." Tavi smiled up at him. "You're just too picky on partners. Always have been."

"Probably." Logan sighed. "I've got to check on the food."

Tavi nodded and walked over to the couch. "You know what the fundamental problem is with humanity?" she asked the flower-arrangement on the coffee table. "Only this: humans are resistant to change, even if a situation can only get better. When they talk about 'old times', the odds are very good that those old times were really no better than the new ones."

"Did you say something?" Logan asked, leaning out of the kitchen.

"Huh?" Tavi looked up and shook her head. "Nice flowers, by the way."

"Thanks." Logan grinned and vanished back into the kitchen.

"I mean, what is it about the status quo that gives people such a vested interest in maintaining it?" She shook her head and absently rearranged a few flowers. "In fact, usually the 'good old days' are worse than the modern day. So what's the point?" She shook her head. "And what the hell am I talking to you for, anyway?" Sighing, she stretched out on the couch and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling.


	3. After Dinner Drinks

**Chapter 3 -- After Dinner Drinks**

"You were really engaged to Mr. Cale, Doctor Jericho?" Jinx asked, frowning.

"Johnson, yes."

"But... I thought Cindy said..."

"That she and I are together." Tavi nodded. "That's right."

"Oh." Jinx stared silently into her coffee mug, thinking.

Tavi, apparently, felt pity on the girl, because she explained, "It was a more or less financial arrangement in many ways for a long time."

"Financial?" Wide-eyed, Max stared from Logan to Tavi. 

"Yeah, see, quite above and beyond the tax-breaks that a married couple can get, imagine how much money we could have saved by maintaining the same mistress."

Logan gazed silently at Tavi for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah. Only need to buy gifts for one that way."

As Max and Cindy stared at Logan with a combination of horror and disgust, Tavi was quietly chuckling. Jinx took the scene in with quiet amusement as it slowly dawned on Max and Cindy that Logan was joking. Soon, she was the only one not laughing, although she was clearly delighted by the scene. 

Grinning and red in the face, Tavi said softly, "I think that this might be as good a time as any to change the subject."

"You could have something there, baby." Cindy smiled at her. "More coffee?"

"I'm good. I'll be up until 0300 from this much."

"So, now that we've exhausted all... polite topics of conversation, what should we talk about?" Max asked.

"Well, I'd like to hear some more about Jinx."

"Oh, but, Doctor, I've already told you everything of importance that there is in my life."

Cindy grinned. "You know, she's got a great singing voice."

"No, I didn't." Tavi shook her head. "Jinx?"

Jinx blushed and bowed her head. She looked as if she wished she could sink into the couch and vanish.

Max smiled reassuringly and patted her shoulder. "It's okay. Logan sometimes sings in public, too."

"Do not!" Logan protested.

"You did at that class reunion. And that time at the Crash."

"I was drunk at the class reunion!" Logan protested. He was blushing worse than Jinx now.

"The Crash? Is that a bar? Can we go?"

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking, love?" Tavi asked.

"I just want to _go_." Jinx shrugged. "Besides, the legal age for cerveza in Mexico is about three."

"In other words, you've been drinking for years." Tavi shook her head. "Jinx..."

"I don't drink that much, and you know I've got the X5 tolerance."

"The X5 tolerance?" Logan asked.

Jinx nodded. "To... mind-altering chemicals. Well, most of them, anyway." She cheerfully added, "Prozac can be fun."

"_Prozac_?" Max asked.

Jinx nodded. "Sure. Takes the edge off the seretonin deficiency."

Tavi frowned. "_Prozac_? The anti-depressant?"

"Yeah. You seem surprised, Doctor."

Tavi shrugged. "No, not really. It's just about approach. You're a field-medic, so the triage mentality comes into play. Deal with the problem. I'm into gene-therapy, so I have a different mind-set. Correct the problem. Both are equally valid in their way."

Jinx smiled at what, from Tavi, was high praise. "We should swap theory some time, Doctor."

"I'd like that, love." Tavi grinned at her. "But, as you can see by the glaze over the eyes of these other nice people, _now_ is probably not that time."

Jinx grinned and nodded. "I guess you're right. Later on, then."

"I'd like that. So, what happened at work after I left?"

Max laughed. "She's going to help Normal streamline his bookkeeping system."

Jinx nodded. "Yup."

"Where did you learn to be an accountant, too?" Logan asked, smiling at her.

"Um..." She looked at Tavi, who nodded. "It kind of flows naturally from being a medic, in a lot of ways. Numbers and payload and things like that..."

Logan frowned and shook his head. "I don't follow."

Max sighed. "She means that as a Manticore field-medic you learn to regard people as numbers and then juggle them. Anything you can do with people you can do with money, too."

Tavi frowned. "Well, certainly a lot of the same equations are applicable to medicine as it existed at Manticore _and_ accounting as it exists in the real world, but..." She sighed and shrugged. "Well, math is math, isn't it?"

"I guess it depends on who you ask." Max poured herself more coffee.

Logan sighed. "Okay, _definitely_ time for a subject-change."

"The weather?" Max asked. "That's... harmless."

"Max!" Logan shook his head. "Come on, stop it."

"Sorry." Max shrugged. "It's just..."

"You hate what we all hate." Tavi sighed and smiled apologetically at Max. "Not one of us wants to hear the M-word, yet all of our conversations seem to keep bouncing back to them."

Max nodded agreement. "I think I preferred the conversation when it focused on Logan's theory on the economic soundness of sham-marriages."

"Actually, that theory was all Tavi's." Logan smiled at her.

"What were you going to do for a mistress?" Cindy asked, laughing. "Take out an ad?"

"Sure, why not." Tavi winked at her. "Cale heir and wife seek SBF, race unimportant for--"

"Okay!" Logan said quickly. "I think this conversation has gone far enough, too."

"Oh, it's okay, Mister Cale. I've heard it all before." Jinx smiled reassuringly at him.

Logan seemed less than comforted. "Maybe we _should_ go to the Crash, after all."

"Will Alec be there?" Jinx asked.

"Maybe." Max shrugged. "Why?"

"He's an X5, too. I should get to know him."

"You should avoid him like the plague..." Max corrected her. "He's not like us, Jinx."

"Well, he could be." Jinx smiled at Max. "Come on, big sis. I'm a big enough girl to stay out of guy-trouble."

Tavi grinned. "Then you're a step ahead of the game, love." 

Max shrugged. "Okay, let's all go to the Crash."

Tavi rose and said apologetically, "As much as I would love to, I have a lot of work to do."

"You sure, babe?" Cindy asked.

"Yeah. If I don't get this particular thing done tonight, I'll lose a few weeks worth of work."

"Are you growing cultures?" Jinx asked, interested.

Tavi nodded. "Yeah. Something along those lines. Only, I'm using rats instead of Petri-dishes, and if they die..."

Jinx nodded. "Better hurry, then. Have fun!"

"Fun?" Cindy asked Max in a whisper.

"Hey, for egg-heads, I'm sure that kind of thing is... fun." She grinned. "You're the one who's dating one."

***

"_You're Ben's twin_!" Jinx breathed in Alec's ear as he sat at the bar.

Alec had not been expecting to be approached by a woman that night, he had not been expecting to see Jinx at the Crash, and he most certainly had not expected to hear the name 'Ben'. He recoiled in surprise, landing on the floor and pouring most of his drink on his shirt. "_Jeez_, Jinx! Don't sneak up on a guy like that!" he yelped.

Jinx smiled apologetically as she helped him to his feet. "I'm sorry. Let me buy you a new drink."

Alec smiled. "Deal. What're you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm here with Max."

Alec's face burned as he noticed Max watching the unfolding scene with a mildly amused expression. "Yeah, well, don't sneak up on me like that again."

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to be overheard."

"Yeah, well I think a 15-year-old whispering something that knocks a grown man off of his barstool is more likely to draw attention than anything you could say out loud."

"Forgive me." Jinx bowed her head. "I just... I hadn't noticed before, but you look so much like him."

"Well, I'm _not_." Alec stared at her. "You do realize that, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Ben is dead, you aren't."

Alec nodded. "Good. Just so you're... clear on that."

"Of course I am. Being young doesn't mean I'm naive."

Alec nodded. "Didn't think so. You seem like a smart girl, princess."

Jinx nodded. "I may be clumsy, but I'm no one's fool. And don't call me princess." She rolled her eyes. "It makes my skin crawl." She ordered him a fresh beet.

"That's an interesting response to a compliment..." Alec observed.

Jinx handed him his drink. "You should see how I respond to insults."

"Um, no thanks." Alec grinned at her. "I _know_ how the average 5 responds to an insult. I don't have to get myself beat up to remember."

"Actually, the use of violence by field-medics is prohibited." Jinx smiled wryly.

"Not that them prohibiting anything ever stopped you guys from doing it."

Jinx bowed her head. "Sometimes you just have to be your own person. You can't live your life doing what other people tell you to do."

"Hey, I'm not criticizing, kid, I'm teasing." Alec grinned at her as she looked up. "Small difference."

She smiled and nodded. "Will you join us at the table?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

"You're more than welcomed to."

"No, thanks." He grinned and shook his head again. "I might not be as welcomed as you think."

"Max likes you, though!" she protested gently.

"_Max_? Likes me?" He laughed and shook his head. "I thought you said you were smart."

"I know my big sister. She may give you a hard time, but only because she cares."

Alec stared at Jinx for a moment, and then at Max. "Hmm."

"Join us."

Alec shook his head apologetically. "Maybe next time."

"Hey, Alec, who's your friend?"

Alec looked up in surprise. "Oh, hi, Asha. This is Jinx."

"Hi, Jinx." Asha smiled a little uncertainly. "I'm Asha."

"Mr. Cale's friend?"

Asha nodded. "You know Logan?"

She nodded. "I'm here with him and Max and Cindy. I just thought I'd come over and say hi to Alec." She smiled. "I was just inviting him to join us. You're welcomed to as well."

Asha smiled. "That would be nice. Coming, Alec?"

Alec shook his head. That Jinx kid was smarter than she acted. "Why not." 

"Hey, the gang's all here." Logan smiled and grabbed a chair from the next table. "Evening, Asha."

Asha nodded and accepted the chair with a smile. "How's everyone?"

"Not bad." Max shrugged noncommittally. "So, I see you've met my sister."

"Your... sister?" Asha frowned and cast a sideways glance at Jinx. 

"Yup. Just another one of my furry little friends."

"Hey! I do _not_ have fur!" Jinx protested with a laugh. "Well, not much..."

Cindy sniggered and rose. "I'm going to get another drink. Who wants? Asha?"

"Oh, thanks." Asha smiled. "Beer, please."

"Jinx, Boo?"

"More tea, thanks." 

"Five beers and an iced tea coming up."

***

Tavi let herself out of the lab and glanced down at her watch. If she did not hurry, she would miss the meeting-time. Bundling her coat tightly around herself, she bowed her head and walked as quickly as she could without drawing the attention of the Sector-Police. She managed to reach the Community-Center with five minutes to spare, but she was not altogether surprised to see that he was already standing near the door, waiting. The bulletin board advertised that an NA meeting was taking place tonight, so there was more than enough traffic for them to not draw much notice. She just found herself wishing that it had been any other kind of meeting.

As she approached, it became obvious from his lack of interest in her that he did not recognize her. She smiled bitterly at the realization and hailed him with a casual, "Evening, Deck."

He stared, startled, but nodded. "Tav."

"Let's take a walk. These places depress me."

"Me, too." Lydecker nodded and followed her back down the steps. They walked in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. "It's... good to see you again, Tav."

"I've missed you, too, Deck."

He took a deep breath. "You look... um, different."

"By which you mean 'like hell', right?"

He nodded weakly. "How much have you lost?"

Tavi, who would seldom admit to more than twenty pounds around her closest friends, told the truth. "Twenty-five pounds."

"I see." Lydecker looked disturbed. "So..."

She waited for him to finish. When he did not, she spoke. "You haven't changed, sir."

"_Don't_ call me that, Tav." Lydecker shook his head.

"Sorry, Deck." She shrugged. "I thought you would look as different as I do. You don't. Just..."

"Just tired, right?" Lydecker smiled faintly. "What can I do for you, Tav?"

"I've been in contact with some mutual friends of ours."

"Logan Cale and 452?"

"Those are the ones, yes." She nodded. "It's cold out. You want to get a cup of coffee or something? There's a nice, quiet place near here."

"I'd like that." Lydecker nodded and blew into his hands. "Seattle has no right to be this cold this time of year."

Tavi smiled faintly. "Well, tell Seattle that."

Lydecker nodded and followed her into the coffee shop. Pre-pulse music from the sixties and seventies filtered over the speakers and while it was crowded, it was not packed. A group of about a dozen occupied one corner and were reading poetry to each other. Other, smaller groups and couples sat around chessboards or tables, totally immersed in themselves. Not a single person looked up at their entry.

"I see why you like this place, Tav."

She nodded. "I got used to being anonymous at some point, and then I started liking it. Grab a table. I'll bring our drinks."

Lydecker nodded and found a snug, corner booth free. He sat down and waited for Tavi to return. "So, how have you been?"

"Busy." She handed him a cappuccino. "You know how it is."

He nodded. "But not running any more? I saw your name on an Eye's Only broadcast a few months ago."

She nodded. "I could have _killed_ him for pulling a stunt like that."

Lydecker smiled. "He's been hanging out with Max for too long. Her sense of humor is rubbing off."

"So I've noticed." Tavi smiled. "Still, all told, I'd say that it suits him."

Lydecker shrugged. "Well, you would be in a better position to know." He paused. "Do they know that you're here?"

"At the coffee-shop, or talking to you?"

Lydecker frowned. "What do you think?"

Tavi smiled apologetically. "Sorry. The answer is no."

"Obviously." Lydecker nodded. "You're scared?"

She shrugged. "Not really. If I were scared, I wouldn't have contacted you."

"Why _did_ you contact me?" Lydecker leaned across the table.

Tavi sighed. "Um... I'm not sure how familiar you are with what's been happening in Max's life since Manticore burned?"

"Not as familiar as I'd like to be." Lydecker frowned.

"She's got this virus that they gave her..." Tavi hesitated. "Did you know that?"

"I might have heard..." he began evasively.

Tavi sighed. "Well, then, just to make sure that we're on the same page, I'll tell you a bit about it." She lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "It's nasty. And when I say nasty, I mean 'no self-respecting scientist creates shit like this' nasty. This thing is the work of a very sick mind."

"I'd say that describes Renfro pretty well. May she rest in peace."

"And leave us to do the same." Tavi made a face. "So, what it does is very simple. It kills people. Slowly and painfully. But not all people. Not even most people. Just one, as a matter of fact."

"Logan?" Lydecker asked, nodding. "Sounds like Renfro's idea of a joke."

She nodded. "Doesn't it, though? So, the net result is that our Max can't touch the man she loves without killing him."

"How does that make you feel?"

Tavi tilted her head and stared at him. "I'm sorry. Did you get a degree in pop-psychology while I was away? Because that is a _strange_ question."

"Well?"

"This is my Max. It pisses me off."

"It's not just your Max, though, is it?" Lydecker asked.

"Okay, it's also _my_ Logan. So I'm twice as pissed off."

"Must be awkward for you."

"Not particularly." Tavi shrugged. "They're happy and that makes me happy."

"I see."

"I doubt it, Deck, but that's okay. You don't have to understand it."

"No, I guess I don't. The three of you would make a cute couple."

"That's just sick, Deck. Max is one of my kids."

"If you say so." Lydecker shrugged. "So, you wanted to tell me all of this... why?"

"Because, for the last few months, I've been working towards a cure for said virus and for every step I take forward I slide back at least three. I need help."

"I'm not a scientist."

"But you _know_ scientists." Tavi smiled at him. 

"Ah, I understand." Lydecker nodded. "You want me to find you a scientist."

"Preferably the one who invented this thing."

"Probably dead."

"In that case, I'll settle for any old lab-tech who had a hand."

"My connections have mostly abandoned me, Tav." Lydecker shrugged apologetically. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks. I can pay you."

"I don't want your money, Tav."

"Fair enough." She stared at her hands for several minutes. "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save my ass?"

"Which time?"

Tavi laughed. "Deck, you haven't changed. Pick a time."

"Maybe I care about you."

"I doubt it."

"You wouldn't understand, Tav."

"I don't think I ever thanked you for giving me the heads-up that Renfro was gunning for me."

"Sure you did. When I did it."

"Oh." Tavi paused. "You know... If you hadn't given me that warning, I probably wouldn't have had time to go into hiding."

"Is that so?" Lydecker asked innocently. "This is good coffee."

"Yeah. Good." Tavi nodded. "So..."

"Yeah." Lydecker rose. "I'd have you give my regards to Max, but under the circumstances..."

She nodded. "I understand. But... I could buy you another cup of coffee."

"I'm surprised you want anything to do with me..." Lydecker admitted. "I mean, pretty much everyone else is avoiding me like the plague. Even my own kids..."

"They don't understand. They wouldn't. They never knew you the way that I did. It's not their fault any more than it's yours."

"Only it _is _my fault, right, Tav?"

"It's a matter of personal perception. I always perceived you as a man who loved those kids as much as I did, and I always respected you for that."

"Too bad they couldn't have seen me that way."

Tavi shrugged helplessly. Lydecker already knew the answer to that. "People like us don't have regrets, Deck. You told me that once, remember?"

He nodded. "After 461 died, I remember."

"And, even though I didn't see it that way at the time, you were right. So, instead of making yourself neurotic over your past life, just... accept it and move forward."

"Build a new life? Like you are?" Lydecker eyed her.

"Well, okay, so admittedly I'm not exactly moving on with my life, but... I'm happy. I have a wonderful woman who I care about and who cares about me, and I have Logan, and I have--"

"Max..." Lydecker sighed. "Which makes you the lucky one."

"I'm sorry, Deck."

"I tried to explain to her once, about my wife..."

"She didn't want to hear it, did she?"

He shook his head. "And I pushed it and told her anyway. I think she must have more reason to hate me now than she did before."

"You judge her too harshly. For a long time, her anger was all she had to keep her going. That's changing, and, I think, in a few years, she will probably be able to forgive."

Lydecker smiled. "It's a nice thought."

Tavi smiled. "I mean it, Deck. Just give her time."

He nodded and smiled at her. "It _is_ good to see you again. You were always a good kid."

She made a face and rose to order more coffee. 


	4. Anxieties

Chapter 4 -- Anxieties 

Normal glanced curiously at Jinx. "Where did you learn all of this, Jinee?"

"School."

"Must have been one hell of a school."

Jinx shrugged uncomfortably. "We learned what they thought we would need to get along in the world. Mostly, though, just a certain way of thinking that makes things like this come easy."

"_Industrial accounting and supply lines_? You need these to get along in the world? Where did you go, West Point?"

Jinx blushed and bowed her head. "Kind of."

Normal looked up, surprised by her response. She seemed to be somewhere between embarrassed and ashamed. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

She shook her head. "No, sir, not at all. It's just... not a thing I like to think about."

Looking concerned, Normal pushed aside the maps they had been perusing and leaned towards her. "Why not? Did something happen?"

She nodded. "But I like to not talk about it."

Normal nodded and gently took her hands in his. "If you ever need to, though..."

She smiled, brightening slightly. "Thank you, Mister Normal."

He grinned. "Ray. Normal's just what people call me. Can I get you a cup of coffee or something? You look pale."

"I'll be fine." Jinx smiled and rubbed her collarbone. "But, the work-day starts soon, so we should finish here or call it a morning."

Normal glanced at his watch and nodded. "I think we'll call it a morning." He rose. "Why don't you just sit for a few minutes until you're ready for work?"

She smiled gratefully, but rose. "I'm fine. Having things to do, it keeps my mind occupied. It's better that way. And I think I need to oil my bike-chain, anyway, which I should do before the day starts."

He nodded. "Suit yourself. But..."

"I'm okay." She nodded quickly and left the room.

Normal stared after her, frowning. She was young, pretty, brilliant, and obviously severely traumatized by something. Normal, who, although he would never admit it, felt a certain paternal affection, or at least responsibility, for all of his kids, found himself very angry about this fact. He resolved to keep an eye on the kid and do what he could to make her time easier. He folded up the city maps and tucked them in his ledger before leaving his office.

Max was standing there. "Hey, have you seen the new kid?"

Normal nodded, surprised. "She was just here. Said she had to oil her bike-chain. Try the supply room."

Max nodded and turned.

"Hey, Max."

"Yeah?" Max looked back, surprised. There was something different about his voice.

"Keep an eye out for her, can you?"

"Yeah, sure." Max nodded.

"Do you know her?"

"We met yesterday..."

"From before then."

Max hesitated, wondering what Jinx could have told him. "We... knew each other a... a long time ago."

Normal frowned. Max's reaction was not unlike what Jinee's had been. "I see. She seems..." he hesitated.

"She had a hard childhood." Max glared at him.

Normal nodded. "I thought so. Let's do what we can to help her forget that, okay?"

"Um, okay... Why?"

Normal blushed. "Hey, a happy worker is a productive worker!" he managed with a forced smile.

Max nodded slowly as she turned to leave. "If you say so, Normal." She shook her head as she walked to the supply room. Trust Normal to want to put an economic spin on an act of human kindness. She tried the door to the supply room, but it was locked. "Jinx?" she called. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Normal's attention was elsewhere, she pulled two hairpins from her hair and picked the lock.

Jinx was sitting in a corner with her arms wrapped around her knees, crying softly. She looked up, startled, as Max came in. She rubbed her eyes and attempted a smile. "Hi."

"Hey..." Max closed the door behind her and locked it again, before kneeling in front of Jinx. "What happened, baby sister?" 

"Nothing. I'm sorry." Jinx shook her head. "I was just helping Mister Normal, Ray... and..."

"What happened?" Max whispered. She entertained a brief, insane idea that Normal had tried something, but his lack of broken bones, plus the fact that he was, well, _Normal_, made that unlikely. "Did he say something?"

"He didn't know any better." Jinx shrugged helplessly. "He complimented me on my education and..." She sniffled and smiled weakly. "He asked if I'd gone to West Point or something."

"Oh..." Max nodded. "Which brought back all kinds of memories that you'd just rather forget altogether?"

Jinx nodded. "It's just that the last few days... You and Alec and _Tavi_..." She took a deep breath. "I guess it's just a lot to take all at once."

Max nodded. "Sure it is. I spent the better part of the last ten years trying to forget. After I met Logan the first time and he forced me to admit everything to myself, oh, I cried myself to sleep a lot of nights." There was a knock on the door. "Out in one minute, Normal!" Max called.

"It's Cindy."

"Oh." Max looked at Jinx. "Can she come in? Do you mind?"

She shook her head. "I like Cindy. She can come."

Max rose and let Cindy in. "Hey."

"Hey, Boo." She looked at Jinx in surprise. "What's wrong, Booling?"

"'Booling'?" Jinx giggled through her tears.

"Hey, got to call my Boo's baby sister something." Cindy shrugged helplessly. She knelt next to Jinx. "So, what's going on?"

"Growing pains." Max shrugged. "This is a hard time for her." It was a hard time for Max, too, but she was not a fifteen year old. "We've got some anniversaries coming up."

"Oh..." Cindy gently hugged Jinx. "I can call Tavi. Would you like that?"

Jinx shook her head. "It's not necessary to bother her. I'm fine."

"Sometimes crying can help..." Cindy observed gently, handing her a tissue.

It was Max who replied. "They never let us cry."

"You're kidding?"

Jinx shook her head. "No. There were punishments if we cried." Her tiny body was shaking. "There were punishments for a lot of things..." she admitted.

Max was beginning to look pale, too. "Oh, yeah..."

"I'm going to call Tavi. She can give Jinx something to calm her down. You too, Boo, if you want?"

Max shook her head. "I'll be fine, but a tranquilizer couldn't hurt Jinx right now. See what you can come up with."

There was a rattle at the door, and Normal walked in, looking ill and angry, though not with them. "Why don't we bring Jinee to my office?"

Max nodded and helped the girl to her feet. It occurred to her that she had never seen Normal angry before. "Go on, Cindy." She looked at Normal. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that I've got a very serious problem with the way the two of you were raised." Normal led them to his office and offered Jinx a chair. 

Jinx looked mortified as she accepted the chair. "I'm sorry. You really don't need to make all this fuss, bugging the doctor and yourselves. Please, just..."

"Stop it, Jinx." Max knelt in front of her and took her hands. "You're among friends here, and we just want to help you."

"I'm too used to helping myself." Jinx sighed and rose. "I should get to work. I'm sorry, Ray. Max." She brushed past them and walked to the bike-rack.

Normal stared after her uncertainly. "Is she going to be okay?"

Max nodded. "She tough. Strong. She'll be fine."

Normal sighed. "Cindy's calling that doctor friend of hers?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. Tavi'll be able to calm her down."

"Keep Jinee occupied until she gets here."

Max nodded. "I'll help her with her bike."

"Thanks."

Max nodded. "Sure, no problem." She joined Tavi at the bike-rack.

"I'm sorry, Max. I've never done anything like that before."

"Crying?" Max asked.

"In public, I mean." Jinx sighed. "I don't know why I should have reacted like that."

"You're under a lot of stress. Tavi'll take care of you."

Jinx nodded and bent over her bike. "There's something caught in the chain."

"That's probably why you spilled yesterday."

"Oh." Jinx reached into the chain and pulled out a small pebble. She rubbed the oil off with her fingers and held the pale-blue stone up to the light. "It's pretty." She smiled and showed it to Max.

***

_"Max, look what I found today..." Jinx whispered, kneeling next to the bed._

_"Jinx, it's late. You'll get in trouble!" Max hissed at her. _

_She slid out of bed anyway and followed Jinx back to her own bunk. Jinx pulled a small, flat box from underneath the mattress and turned on the tiny penlight that she used to look into people's eyes when they hit their head. Grinning, Jinx slid the cover off of the box, revealing a small collection of pretty stones and feathers. She reached into the box and picked up a blue stone with pink veins._

_"I think it's a moon-stone..." Jinx whispered._

_"But they don't grow around here!" Max protested._

_"Maybe it's magic." Jinx smiled and shone the light on the stone so Max could see._

_Max smiled. "It is pretty. Maybe it's lucky."_

_Jinx smiled and hugged Max. "I think you're right. It's probably lucky."_

_Max grinned and replaced the tiny stone in the box. "It won't be lucky if you get caught with it. Better put it away."_

_Jinx nodded gravely and replaced the box under her mattress. "I wonder how it got into the forest, Max."_

_"By magic." Max grinned at her little sister and helped her into her bunk. She tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight, Jinx."_

_"Nighty, Max."_

_Max was about to reply when she heard someone at the door. She squeezed Jinx's hand and ran to her own bed. She barely had time to slide under the blanket before the door opened._

_"Come with me, 452."_

_Max squeezed her eyes shut. "Yes, Doctor." She rose and padded silently out of the barracks. Doctor Jericho was waiting. _

_"What were you doing out of your bed, 452?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Don't lie to me, lovely. Was 805 having trouble sleeping?"_

_"Will she get in trouble?"_

_"No. I'll just bring her in for a physical tomorrow. Unlike you, lovely, she _needs_ her sleep."_

_"Yes, Doctor. I'm sorry."_

_"Go to bed now, lovely."_

_Max silently returned to the barracks. As she pulled the door shut behind her, she was aware that Colonel Lydecker had joined Doctor Jericho._

_"What was that all about?"_

_"805 has been having trouble sleeping, sir. I'll see her tomorrow."_

_Lydecker nodded. "You do that. She's the one who was having the nightmares?"_

_"Yes, sir, but those resolved themselves last year."_

_"What about 452? What's her involvement?"_

_"Her? She never sleeps."_

_"I see. Maybe you should start giving her something for that."_

_"If you wish, sir, but she hardly needs it. Unlike 805, she doesn't _require_ much sleep at all."_

_"I see." Lydecker nodded. "Keep me informed."_

_"Aye, sir." Tavi nodded and returned to the nurse's station. She looked up in surprise a few minutes later as Lydecker returned, holding two cups of coffee. "Thank you, sir." She smiled at him. "Long night?"_

_Lydecker nodded and sighed. "We lost three of the X6's."_

_"Oh, Deck, I'm so sorry!" Tavi sighed and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Hyper-metabolism?"_

_He nodded and rubbed his forehead. "The kids are starving to death on 10,000 calories a day. I think we might have to completely redesign the series."_

_Tavi frowned. They had put a lot of work into the X6's, and it was painful watching the results. "Can't we just redo the metabolism-specific gene-sequences?"_

_"We might be able to." Lydecker sighed. "This is a nightmare, Tav."_

_"I know, sir." She nodded slowly. "How long have you been up?"_

_"About thirty-six hours."_

_Tavi sighed and nodded. "You should have called me in."_

_"You've got your own problems with the 5's." Lydecker stared at Max on the monitor, lying in her bunk and staring at the ceiling. He yawned._

_"Here." Tavi reached into her purse and pulled out a bottle of pills. "These'll help." She handed him one and kept one for herself._

_"What is it?"_

_"It'll keep you awake." _

_Lydecker considered the pill for a moment before swallowing it. "Damn, Tav, I could use a drink."_

_Tavi nodded. "Look, I'm going to call one of the guards to take over for me, and then I'll join you in Ward 6."_

_Lydecker smiled gratefully. "Thanks. We could use the help."_

_Tavi, who suspected that about the only thing left for the sick kids was to make them comfortable, refrained from comment._

***

"Morning, my lovelies."

"Morning, Tavi." Max looked up from the bike that she was working on with Jinx and smiled.

"Good morning, Doctor." Jinx smiled shyly at her. 

Tavi grinned and knelt next to them. "Max, can we have a minute?"

"Sure. I'll be... somewhere else." 

"Thanks, lovely." Tavi smiled at Jinx. "So, Cindy tells me that you had a hard morning?"

Jinx nodded gravely. "I'm sorry that you had to be disturbed, Doctor."

"Not a problem. Care to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking about some things that made me sad."

"You locked yourself in the supply closet?"

She nodded. "I didn't want anyone to see me crying."

"How've you been sleeping?"

Jinx shrugged. "Five or six hours a night."

"Bad dreams?"

Jinx nodded slowly. "Maybe."

Tavi nodded understandingly. "Okay, Jinx. I'm going to take care of you. Okay?"

Jinx nodded. "Are you feeling okay, Doctor?"

"Sure am, love. Now let's stop trying to change the subject." Tavi grinned at her and squeezed her shoulder. "There are two bedrooms in my apartment. I want you to move in with me for a while."

"But, why?"

"Because, I worry about you being alone at night."

"I'm not a kid."

"Yes, you are." Tavi eyed her seriously. "I mean it, Jinx. You're a remarkably bright and self-sufficient kid, but you _are_ still a kid."

Jinx shrugged. It really did not matter to her where she slept, and it _would_ be nice to have company in the evenings. "Okay."

"You know how anxiety disorders manifest themselves?" Tavi asked.

Jinx nodded. As a field-medic, she had a rudimentary education in the psychiatric disorders common to soldiers, not just the various anxiety disorders, but also depression, post-traumatic stress, reactive psychosis, and the personality disorders. 

"Good." Tavi nodded. "And have you been suffering any of these symptoms?"

Jinx hesitated, then slowly nodded. "I guess so."

"That's kind of what I thought." Tavi reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills. "These are for anxiety, right?"

Jinx read the label. "Uh-huh."

"I want you to take one now and see how it works. You keep the bottle and take them when you need them. If they don't work, I want you to let me know that."

Jinx nodded and pried the bottle opened. She swallowed one of the pills, making a face at the bitter taste. 

"Love, most people take those with water." Tavi smiled at her. "Did I spell your name right?"

Jinx looked at the label again and nodded. She slid the bottle into her back pocket, then reconsidered. "I might loose them there..." she muttered. She rose and locked them in her locker.

"Good girl. No sharing." Tavi grinned at her.

Jinx smiled and nodded. "I know, Doctor."

"Do you want me to talk to Ray about getting you the rest of the day off?"

She shook her head. "I like working. It makes me feel better."

Tavi grinned at her. "Good girl. Here's my number. Call if you need _anything_ and I'll meet you here after work so we can get you moved in."

"Yes, Doctor."

Tavi winked at her. "Okay, love. Run along." 

"Doctor?" Jinx asked.

"Yeah, love?"

"Have you considered gene therapy for Logan and Max?"

Tavi smiled faintly and nodded. "I have, as a matter of fact. If I could isolate the specific genes of Logan's that Max's virus are attacking, it wouldn't be necessary to do anything at all to cure the virus on Max's side."

"Then why haven't you? Max says that you've been working on this for months. You _must_ know what genes the virus attacks?"

"Of course I do…"

"Then why haven't you fixed Logan?"

Tavi sighed. "Jinx, love… Gene therapy on healthy adults is a very dangerous game. It's chancy enough on embryos, but on adults it's pretty much invariably fatal."

"Oh." Jinx frowned. "Sorry."

"No problem, love. Run along, now."

'Yes, Doctor." Jinx nodded and left.

"Doctor?"

"Oh, hello, Ray." Tavi turned and smiled benignly at Normal.

"Can we talk?" He pointed to his office door.

"Sure." Tavi nodded and preceded him into the office. "What can I do for you, Ray?"

"How long have you known them?"

"Since they were babies, why?" Tavi frowned. "You aren't thinking of firing Jinx just because--"

"No." Normal shook his head. "I just have one question."

Tavi frowned in confusion. "Shoot."

"How could you let their parents treat them like they did?"

"Wha..." Tavi stared. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard them talking about how they were abused by their parents."

Tavi frowned. "They were certainly not well-treated as children, but I did what I could for them."

"How could you let them stay in that environment? You're a _doctor_! It's your job to take care of and _protect_ people!"

Neither of them noticed that Max had drawn near the office door as they spoke.

Tavi scowled at him. "You have _no_ idea--"

"Tavi!" Max snapped. "Normal! Take it easy, you two!" Max glared at them. "Tavi, he doesn't understand. Normal, she did what she could to protect us."

"I did _everything_ in my power to protect them!" Tavi half-shrieked at Normal. "I was powerless to rescue them, but when they got out on their own, I got myself into deep legal shit to protect them from _ever_ going back there! _You _have _no_ idea what I went through for those kids!"

Normal shrank against the wall, startled. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean--"

Tavi blinked hard. "Jeez... Ray, I'm... I'm really, _really_ sorry." Looking somewhat dazed, she turned and stumbled out of the office.

"Tavi!" Max called, starting after her and grabbing her arm. 

"_Leave me alone!_" Tavi shrieked, trying to twist free. Max refused to let go. __

She was unprepared when Tavi shoved her against the wall with more strength than a normal person, especially such a scrawny one, should have been able to muster. She slid to the floor and sat there for a moment, dazed. Tavi half-ran from the building, ignoring Cindy's shouts and Jinx's confused queries.

"Max..." Jinx rushed to her side and helped her to her feet. "What happened, Max?"

Max shook her head, trying to clear it. "I'm not really sure. Tavi just... snapped."

"Normal, I need a personal day..." Cindy announced, staring at Max uncertainly.

Max frowned. "I'm not sure that's wise, Cindy. She's not herself right now."

Jinx nodded. "Something's wrong. She was... _different_."

Max stared at Jinx, searching for a hidden meaning to that phrase. She was sure that there was one, she just could not figure out what it was. She glanced at Normal who was still standing against the wall, looking mildly horrified. "I think we should discuss this in private." She took Jinx by one arm and steered her and Cindy out of the office. "Jinx, what's going on with her?"

"I don't know. She was... different from before."

"Different _how_?" Max persisted.

"Um... Her heart rate was so high, and... her adrenal secretions were... um, really pretty unhealthy. And, um... her body temperature was up, but she wasn't sweating it off."

"You're saying that she was sick?" Cindy asked anxiously. "Damn, I should have known..."

Jinx hesitated. "Um..."

Max frowned. "_What_ Jinx?"

"Um... I'm not sure that her symptoms really correspond to any known _illness_." Jinx shifted uncomfortably.

"_Jinx?_" Max asked, doing her best to keep her voice soft and level.

"Um... it could be... pharmaceutical." Jinx grinned nervously and began backing away, just in case.

The explosion never came. Max sat down heavily and stared at her feet. "Tavi? But..."

"Maybe... maybe she _is_ sick." Jinx spoke quietly. "Maybe... maybe I'm wrong."

"I doubt it." Max cradled her head in her hands.

"What do you mean, you doubt it?" Cindy demanded.

"Jinx isn't usually wrong about these kinds of things."

"First time for everything." Cindy glared at Max and Jinx. "Tavi is _not_ using drugs." She paused. "Except for the sleeping pills..." she admitted after a moment.

Max stared at her. "Sleeping pills?"

"She can't always sleep at night. Says her mind won't get off the virus."

"Sleeping pills..." Max repeated, frowning.

"Um..."

"Yeah, Jinx?" Max prompted.

"Her symptoms really aren't consistent--"

"Of course they're not." Max rose and slammed her fist against a bank of lockers. They wobbled slightly, but, thankfully, did not tip. "_Damnit!_"

Jinx recoiled slightly. "Max..."

"What?"

"I'm worried about her. What if she _is_ sick? She'd have to be _really_ sick to be taking the things she must be taking."

"I think you _should_ be worried." Max sighed. "We all should be."

Cindy sighed. "I'll check her apartment, you call Logan."

"What about me?" Jinx asked softly.

"You?" Max asked, frowning.

"She's my friend, too, Max..." Jinx said firmly.

"Okay. Look, here's a thought. Maybe we should just give her some time."

"I don't know, Boo." Cindy frowned. "She may need us."

"If she needed us, would she run away?" Jinx asked.

Max stared at her. She genuinely did not understand that such a thing was possible. "Jinx, if she's not thinking rationally..."

"Oh." Jinx frowned. "Well, if she's not thinking rationally, it's dangerous for her to be alone."

Max nodded. "Normal!"

"Yeah?" he asked, leaning out of his office.

"We're taking personal days."

Normal stared. "Oh, no! Come on! Not all three of you at once..."

Jinx stepped forward. "Mister Normal, our friend isn't well."

"I noticed."

"Please, let us help her. We'll... work overtime to make it up."

Normal nodded. "Fine. Go. But don't make a habit of it."

***

By six that evening, everyone was worried. Cindy had ransacked the apartment, but had not been the first one there. Tavi had taken the contents of her medicine cabinet, a few changes of clothes, and about 100 dollars that she kept hidden under her mattress. She had been to the lab, too. There was enough fresh food and water in the rat-cages to keep them well fed for a week or more, and a note asking someone to feed them and water the plants. 

Logan had not heard from her either, and she was not answering her cell-phone or pager. After Logan paged her for the hundredth time and called her for the twentieth, she had simply turned both off.

Jinx poured everyone more coffee as they sat in Logan's living room, brainstorming ideas for locating her. "We could triangulate her cell-phone signal..." she suggested.

Logan shook his head. "She turned it off, remember?"

"Oh." Jinx sat down. "What, then?"

"Where would you go?" Max asked. 

"To Logan, probably..." Jinx said, shrugging. "But she hasn't."

Logan sighed. "Where would you go, Max?"

"Me?" Max shrugged. "I think it would depend on why she thinks she needs to avoid us."

Logan nodded. "Good point. Why _does_ she think she needs to avoid us?"

Jinx answered promptly. "Because she blew up at Ray."

"I've never seen her come _close_ to losing her temper before..." Max muttered.

Logan nodded. "But there's something else going on. Something behind her getting mad at Ray in the first place."

Cindy sighed. "She must be sick. We've all noticed that she hasn't been herself lately."

Max nodded. "We've just all been so wrapped up in our own problems that we didn't pay attention to hers."

"Maybe... maybe if she's sick, she went to see someone..." Jinx suggested softly.

"That's a good point." Logan nodded gratefully. "But who would she go to see?"

Jinx shook her head. "I don't know..."


	5. Where Would You Go?

Chapter 5 -- Where Would You Go?

Lydecker unlocked his front door with a sigh and let himself into the darkened house that he used when he was in Seattle. He was instantly aware that he was not alone in the kitchen by the sound of ragged breathing coming from the vicinity of the table. He pulled out his gun and hit the overhead light.

"Tav?" he asked, startled.

She looked up at him dully, ignoring the gun. "Sorry to intrude, Deck, but I need a place to stay."

Lydecker put his gun away and stared at her in confusion. "You look like shit, Tav. Did something happen?"

She nodded. "Sort of, yeah."

"Want to talk about it?" Lydecker grabbed a chair and sat down next to her. 

She shook her head. "Mostly I just want to crawl under a rock and die, Deck."

"That would be a bad thing, Tav. Why don't you just tell me what happened instead. Is everyone okay? Max?"

She nodded. "Max is fine, Deck. The only problem is with me."

Lydecker sighed. "You seem to be feeling awfully sorry for yourself, Tav. You know what I think?"

"That self-pity is a self-defeating load of shit?" Tavi nodded. "So I've heard."

"So, what happened?" Lydecker asked impatiently.

"I'm sick, Deck." Tavi shrugged. "I'm... I'm not sure what happened, but I'm very sick."

Lydecker regarded her thoughtfully. "Did you do something to yourself?"

"Nothing that should have caused anything like this to happen to me."

"Anything like _what_?"

Tavi shrugged. "I'm sleeping about two hours a night, and that's _with_ sleeping-pills. My resting heart rate is right around 120 beats a minute. My mind is running almost as fast as my heart. It's insane, Deck. I feel like I'm dying or going crazy."

"Do your friends know about this?"

She shook her head. "What am I supposed to tell them? 'Guys, I wasn't content with breaking all of the laws of nature on the kids, so I decided to try it on myself, too'?"

"You used gene-therapy on yourself?"

She nodded. "I guess it's a good thing that I haven't sprouted a barcode, yet, but that's the _only_ good thing."

"Is that how you lost all of this weight?"

She nodded again. "Yeah. Whatever I did, it seems to have screwed up my metabolism as well."

"'Whatever you did'? Do you not _know_ what you did to yourself?"

"I know what I was _trying_ to do to myself."

"Something went wrong?"

She nodded. "It was fine the first couple of years, but in the last six weeks or so, it's spun all out of control."

Lydecker sighed and gently rested his hand on her arm. "What were you trying to do, Tav?"

"I was trying to make myself better. Faster. Smarter."

Lydecker frowned, but nodded. "Which wasn't very smart at all."

"No, it wasn't." Tavi shrugged helplessly. "But I realized _that _about ten years too late."

"At least it wasn't the drugs again."

Tavi nodded and shrugged. "I was just trying to make things better for them..." she moaned helplessly.

Lydecker nodded and helped her out of the chair. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"_You_ are going to bed. I am going to try even harder to get in touch with some of my old contacts."

"I can't sleep, Deck."

"Then take a pill. You may have trouble speaking, but you _need_ it. Come on."

***

"This is getting us nowhere!" Max said in disgust. They had been trying to figure our where Tavi would have gone without luck for the last hour. The problem was that none of them really knew anything about the life she had been leading for the last ten years.

Jinx sighed and sipped her coffee. "We're just missing it. It's obvious, right in front of us, but we're missing it. We just need to take a step back and try again."

Logan nodded. "You could have something there, Jinx. So, we take a step back, and look again, and what do we come up with?" The phone rang, causing all of them to jump. Logan quickly picked it up. "Tavi?"

"No, but I have her with me."

Logan nodded slowly. The answer to the question. _Where would you go, Tavi? _"Lydecker..."

"Lydecker?" Max asked, rising.

Logan nodded. "Where's Tavi, Lydecker?"

"She's upstairs taking a nap, Logan. She asked me not to call you."

"So you did anyway?"

"She's in trouble."

"Yeah, I'll bet."

"She came to me, didn't she?"

Logan paused. "You're right. She must be in trouble."

"She's a sick woman, Logan."

"She's got a problem, yeah."

Lydecker sighed. "Yes, she _does_ have a problem, just not the one you think."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not drugs this time."

"This time?"

"Come on, Logan, we both know Tav well enough to know that she's been on and off of uppers her whole life. But this time, she's crossed the line."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not drugs. It's worse."

"Worse than drugs?" Logan asked, frowning.

"Oh, Holy Mother of God..." Jinx breathed. 

"What is it?" Cindy asked her.

Jinx pulled the phone from Logan's hand. "She's done gene therapy on herself, hasn't she, Colonel?"

"Who is this?"

"X5-805. What did she do to herself?"

"No, 805 is dead."

"_What did she do to herself_?" Jinx repeated insistently. "Which genes did she use? Which series?"

"X7 prototypes. Intellect-boosters, mostly."

Jinx dropped the phone and stumbled back to the couch. "This is bad..."

"What?" Cindy demanded, jumping to her feet. "Where is she? Do you know where she is?"

Logan retrieved the phone. "Still there, Lydecker?"

"Yeah. Who was that?"

"An X5 named Jinx."

"She's dead."

"Obviously not. Can we stay on focus, here?"

"Right." Lydecker gave Logan directions to his house and then hung up.

***

"So, she injected herself with these genes from the X7's?" Max asked Jinx as Logan drove them to Lydecker's place.

She nodded. "That's what the Colonel said."

"Why would they be affecting her like this?" Cindy asked.

"Could it be a trap?" Max added.

Jinx shook her head in response to Max's question. "I don't think it's a trap. She went to him, and that means she trusts him." She sighed and considered Cindy's question. "If she injected herself with genes from the 7's, if the genes were from early enough in the series--"

"Which they would have to be for her to lay hands on them..." Logan interjected.

"They might not have been completely... debugged." Jinx frowned. "A lot of the time, the genes were designed to turn themselves off after a certain point, if it was a certain stage of brain-development, or aging, or metabolic development. They would do their thing and then turn themselves off before they could become dangerous."

"Okay." Cindy nodded.

"Only, sometimes the genes would reactivate in response to stress, or environment, or for no reason at all. And then the carriers would die. We lost dozens of X6's when their metabolism genes unexpectedly turned themselves back on."

"Can you correct it?" Cindy asked.

Jinx stared at her in surprise. "Uh..."

"Is that a no?" Max asked gently.

Jinx slowly shook her head. "There's a chance. I'll need a good lab."

Logan spoke for the first time. "You can use hers. If you need more equipment, I'll do what I can."

Jinx nodded slowly. "There's a chance, then. I'll do what lies in my power."

"Thanks, Booling." Cindy patted her shoulder gently.

Logan stopped the car. "I think this is it."

"Yes, there's the Colonel." Jinx pointed to an upstairs window, where a shadowy form was regarding them through a half-drawn blind. She climbed over Max in her hurry to get out of the car and ran to the front door. 

Lydecker somehow managed to reach the door before she did and was waiting. "Hello."

"Where is she, sir? Is she stable?"

He nodded slowly. "Who are you?"

"805, I've told you." She turned around and pulled down her turtleneck, revealing the bar code. "Where is she?"

Lydecker hid his surprise. "She's upstairs in my bedroom. I'll show you."

By now the others had joined them. "Is she going to be okay?" Cindy asked softly?

He hesitated for a split-second and then slowly nodded. It was a lie, but it was one he preferred to believe. "She's finally sleeping." Lydecker shook his head slowly. "I don't know what she was thinking, doing this to herself."

Logan growled. "I know exactly what she was thinking. She was thinking of making the world a better, safer place, and be damned with the consequences."

Lydecker stared at Logan in surprise for a moment, but slowly nodded. "Sounds about right of Tav. I don't think you should all go up there."

"The Colonel is right." Jinx nodded. "Just me and Cindy to start."

"Cindy?" Lydecker asked, frowning.

"You want to try and keep her away, be our guest..." Max muttered.

Lydecker shrugged. "She's this way." He led Cindy and Jinx up the stairs, leaving Max and Logan alone.

"This is insane..." Max muttered helplessly. She sat down because she was not entirely sure if she would be able to remain standing much longer. "Why would she do something like this to herself?"

Logan shook his head slowly. "It's Tavi through and through, Max. She has... _had_ this blind spot where she believed that if the intention was good the outcome would also be. It's lead to some stellar lapses in her judgment in the past." He sat down next to her. "Never any this big, though."

Max glanced over at him, wishing that she could hug him or just take his hand and tell him that everything would be okay. "She'll pull through, Logan. It's Tavi."

He nodded. "She's always come out of bad situations in one piece before, but I'm not so sure this time, Max."

"It'll be fine..." Max promised, not believing it, but wanting him to.

Logan glanced over at her, wishing that he could hug her or just take her hand and tell her that everything would be okay. "Sure she will, Max." He nodded and glanced at the ceiling, wondering what Jinx and Cindy were doing.

***

"We need to bring her body temperature down..." Jinx said, peeling blankets off of Tavi. 

In her sleep, she reached for the blankets with a muttered protest, but Jinx pulled them out of her reach.

"I gave her some aspirin earlier, but it didn't help." Lydecker glanced at Cindy who was sitting helplessly by the window. He lowered his voice. "She's not going to make it, is she?"

"Of course she is. I just need to stabilize her and then figure out what's wrong. Once I know, I can correct it."

"What if you can't?"

Jinx glanced up at Lydecker. "There's a first time for everything, I suppose, but I haven't lost a patient yet. I see no reason to start now."

Lydecker smiled faintly at the self-assurance of the young woman, really still a girl. "Okay, then, what's the plan?"

Jinx shone a light in Tavi's eyes. "Is there a tub up here?"

"Just a shower."

"It'll have to do." Jinx gathered Tavi into her arms and picked her up. "Show me."

Lydecker led her to the bathroom. Jinx gently deposited Tavi on the floor of the shower and turned on the cold water. Tavi jerked awake and struggled to get out of the stream of bitterly cold water.

"You're okay, baby..." Cindy assured her, pushing her way past Jinx and Lydecker and kneeling in front of her.

"I'm so _cold_!" she protested, reaching for Cindy.

"I know you are, baby." Cindy wrapped her arms around Tavi and climbed into the shower with her. "You're going to be okay, though. I promise."

Tavi nodded and leaned into Cindy, shivering. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, baby." Cindy rocked her gently and glanced up at Jinx, mouthing 'what now?'

Jinx knelt in front of them. "Tavi, have you been taking anything that I should know about?"

She shook her head dully.

"So this is all from the gene therapy?"

A slow nod.

"Okay. Let go of Cindy for a second and touch your fingers to your nose."

"What are you doing?" Lydecker whispered.

"Testing her reflexes. Trying to figure out what's wrong."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Get her purse and tell me what's inside. Ten to one she's been self-medicating for several months."

Lydecker nodded and quickly left.

"Doctor, can you squeeze my hand? Hard as you can, okay?"

Tavi reached out and wrapped her fingers loosely around Jinx's extended fingers, squeezing as hard as she could.

"That's good. Think you can try just a little harder?"

***

"Do you still love her, Logan?" Max asked softly.

Coming after ten minutes of total silence, the question was a shock. "_What_?"

"Do you still love her?" Max repeated.

"Max, what kind of question is that?" Logan asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Logan..." Max began carefully. "It's okay if you do."

"I don't." Logan paused. "At least, not like I used to. I mean, I still love her, I just don't _love_ her."

"I understand." Max smiled gently at him. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay..." she lied.

Logan smiled back, wishing he could believe it as much as she did. "I know. Tavi's strong, a fighter. She'll make it."

"She'll make it because she has hope." Max smiled faintly, remembering that Tavi had once told Lydecker much the same thing about herself.

Lydecker came down the stairs and walked into the kitchen, hardly seeming to notice them. He came back out, carrying Tavi's purse.

"What are you doing with that?" Logan asked, rising.

Lydecker looked up, startled. "805 wants it. She thinks that we can get some insight into Tavi's symptoms if we know what medications she's been using on herself."

"Oh." Logan nodded.

Lydecker hesitated. "How are the two of you holding up?"

Max answered. "We'll be fine once Tavi is."

Lydecker smiled at her. 

"What?" Max demanded.

He shook his head. "Nothing." He quickly retreated up the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Logan asked.

Max shook her head. "I hate the way he looks at me. Like..." 

"A woman?" Logan asked softly.

"Yes!" Max shivered, disgusted. "Sick bastard."

Logan shrugged, then yawned.

"Hey, why don't you get some sleep?" Max suggested, rising and moving to an armchair.

"I don't think I could if I wanted to."

"Try anyway." Max smiled at him. "You've been up for a long time."

Logan sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have." Shrugging, he stretched out on the couch. Although he had been sure that he would not be able to sleep, he was asleep the moment his eyes closed.

Smiling, Max knelt on the floor, watching him sleep.

***

"More coffee, Cindy?" Lydecker asked, offering her another hot mug.

She nodded gratefully and pulled the blanket more tightly around herself. "Thanks."

"Logan still asleep?" Jinx asked Max.

She nodded. "Poor guy's exhausted."

"Well, I can fill him in later."

Max nodded again. "That's probably best. What's the story?"

"Well, I'd like to get a neuro-series before I say for sure, but I'm beginning to doubt that it's the X7 DNA causing her problems."

Max hesitated. "Is that good or bad?"

"Depends." Jinx shrugged helplessly. "As I said, it _might_ be the modified DNA, I just doubt it."

"What else could it be?" Max asked. "Best-case scenario?"

"Hmm... Best case? It could be encephalopathy or rabies."

"_Rabies_?" Cindy repeated.

Jinx nodded. "Theoretically, sure. Only..."

Lydecker finished for her. "She's taking water."

"Not rabies, then?" Max asked.

Jinx shook her head. "Guess not. But, either way, if it's a pathology instead of an organic complex--"

"English, please?" Cindy asked.

"If it's a disease, instead of brain damage or edema or a genetic problem, we have a good chance of correcting it before it kills her."

"Are we looking at permanent brain-damage?" Lydecker asked.

Jinx shrugged. "It's too early to tell. I'll know more once I've gotten some brain scans."

"So, what's the next step?" Max asked.

"We check her into a hospital." 

"Jinx, is that wise?" Lydecker asked. "If her problems _are_ due to the X7 DNA, then it's not going to take the doctors long to figure it out."

"Which is why we be ready to remove her the second the brain study is done. In her condition, it will be the first thing they do, I assure you. Besides, I don't have the equipment _or_ the know-how to perform a complete neurological series. We bring her to the hospital and we might just save her life."

Lydecker nodded. "I'll wake Logan up."

"I'll do it." Max rose and left the kitchen.

Lydecker shrugged and sat back down. "Are you sure about this, 805?"

She nodded. "I am, sir, yes."

"Okay, then. I'll bring Tavi downstairs." He rose and left.

"Jinx?"

"Yes, Cindy?"

"Does she have a chance?"

Jinx sighed. "I honestly don't know yet, Cindy. I wish I did, really I do, but it's early. Once we have her at the hospital, I'll know more."

Cindy nodded. "You save my baby, Booling."

"I'll do my best…" Jinx promised softly as Cindy left. "I just hope it's enough…" She sat in the kitchen, absorbed in thought, until Max came to get her. 

"She's in the car."

Jinx nodded and rose, following Max out of the house and muttering a silent prayer to the Blue Lady.


	6. Prognosis

**Chapter 6 -- Prognosis**

Logan, Max, and Cindy looked up hopefully as Jinx entered the waiting-room. Lydecker was too busy staring at his shoes to notice her until she gently cleared her throat. He looked up at her, but did not speak.

Sighing, Jinx crouched in front of them. "Well, we have a much clearer picture now."

"Is that good or bad?" Max asked.

"Both, I'm afraid." Tavi reached out and gently squeezed Cindy's knee. "The good news is that what's wrong with her is _not_ being caused by the mutated DNA."

"That's... wonderful." Logan smiled hopefully.

"What's the bad news?" Lydecker asked softly.

"The bad news is that she's got an extremely tenacious form of viral encephalopathy, thus the fever, weakness, and mood-swings."

"Is it curable?" Cindy asked softly.

Jinx nodded slowly. "The doctors are administering IV anti-virals as we speak. They've managed to regulate her body-temperature, so we don't need to worry about further brain damage."

"_Further_ brain damage?" Max whispered.

Jinx sighed and nodded. "In cases like this, there's almost always brain damage. The fever almost gaurantees it. In the Doctor's case, it's _more_ likely because of the time lag between symptom onset and treatment."

Cindy closed her eyes. "So, by assuming that what was wrong with her was something else, she pretty much condemned herself to permenant brain damage?"

Max slid her arms around Cindy.

Jinx whiped her eyes. "Doctors make bad patients. They... have a habit of assuming that they know everything. I'm sorry, Cindy."

"So, how bad is this going to be?" Cindy finally asked.

"It's hard to say. We'll know more in a day or two, but we can already tell that, even in a worst-case scenario, she is still going to be more or less self-sufficient."

"_More_ _or_ _less_ self-sufficient?" Logan muttered.

Jinx nodded. "Yes, and lucky to be that. The doctors are, honestly, amazed that she's in as good shape as she is."

"It's good news..." Max muttered, rocking Cindy. "Good news..."

"Would you like to see her?"

"Is she awake?" Logan asked, rising.

"Not really."

Logan swallowed hard. "I still want to see her."

"One at a time, okay? Doctor's orders." Jinx made a face that clearly indicated what she thought of those orders.

"You guys go ahead..." Cindy said. "I think I'll go down to the hospital chapel for a little while."

Max hesitated. "Do you... want company?"

Cindy smiled and shook her head. "I'll be fine, Boo. Just... get me if anything changes."

"Will do." Max nodded and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "Hang in there, Cindy."

"Always." Cindy nodded and walked to the elevators.

Jinx watched her go with a sigh. "Okay, who's first?"

Lydecker spoke up. "Logan can go ahead."

Logan looked surprised. "Thanks, Lydecker."

"No problem." Lydecker shrugged. "Doesn't matter _when_ I see her, as long as I get to see her."

"How long have the two of you been in touch?" Max asked as Jinx walked Logan to Tavi's room.

"Three days." Lydecker laughed bitterly and shook his head. "She wanted my help with your virus."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry about that, by the way, Max."

Max shook her head. "Doesn't matter. I'll beat the bitch eventually."

Lydecker smiled faintly. "Of that I have no doubt, Max."

Max glaced at him. "What is it with you?"

Lydecker shook his head. "You wouldn't understand. Tavi was right."

"About _what_?" Max put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"About you kids. You'll never really know me as anything other than the jerk who made your lives hell for ten years."

"Try twenty..." Max suggested bitterly.

"She said that you'll never be able to know me the way she did."

"And what way is that?" 

"As a human-being." Lydecker turned and wandered off.

***

"Cindy?" Jinx asked in a whisper, so as not to disturb the dozen or so individuals praying in the small chapel.

"Oh, hi, Jinx."

"Everyone else has seen her, so I thought you might want to now. Before visiting-hours end."

"How is she?"

"Sleeping soundly."

Cindy nodded and slowly rose. "Coming?"

"I think I'd rather stay here. Besides, you two might want to be alone."

"Thanks, Booling." Cindy took her hand and held it for a second. "You hang in there."

Jinx nodded. "You too, Cindy. I... I like you a lot, and... I hope you get to be happy."

"Thanks." Cindy smiled at her and then left. 

When she got back to the waiting room, Max and Logan were deep in conversation and did not notice her entry. Lydecker was standing nearby, leaning against a wall and eyeing them with what looked like envy. He nodded to Cindy when he saw her.

"She's in room 736..." he whispered.

"Thanks." Cindy smiled and nodded. "How is she?"

"Sleeping. She looks... better than she did."

"That's good." She started towards Tavi's room.

"Cindy?" Lydecker said, walking after her.

"Yeah?"

"You seem to care about her."

"I do, yeah."

"Make her happy. I don't think she's had enough of that in this life."

Cindy smiled and nodded. "You really do care about her, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Why?"

Lydecker shrugged. "Why does anyone care about anyone? I just do. She endeared herself to me her first day on the project, we became friends. That's all. Why it was her and not one of the hundred other technicians on site, I just don't know."

"Maybe it's because she's like Max?" Cindy suggested gently.

Lydecker glanced over his shoulder at the woman in question. There _were_ certain phsyical similarities, he realized. "In what way?"

Cindy smiled and pushed Tavi's door opened. "One of a kind." 

Lydecker smiled. "They are that..."

Cindy nodded and let the door slide shut. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the semi-darkness. When they did, she saw Tavi lying on the bed, hooked up to an IV and a half-dozen monitors. She took a deep breath and crossed the room. There was a chair next to the bed, and she sat down in it, taking Tavi's hand in hers. The skin was cool and smooth instead of hot and rough as it had been. The heart-monitor beeped slowly. Lydecker had been right, too. She looked a _lot_ better.

"Tavi, that one was too close, baby..." she muttered, holding her hand.

The IV pump clicked on, causing Cindy to jump slightly. She glanced up at the three bags hanging from the IV pole, wondering what they were and what they were for. 

"Ma'am, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave now..." a nurse said softly. She entered the room with a fresh IV bag in one hand. 

"Already?" Cindy asked softly.

"It's been half an hour an hour, ma'am."

"It has?" Cindy asked, surprised. "I guess the time just got away from me."

The nurse smiled sympathetically. "I understand, but you really should go now. You look like you could do with some rest."

Cindy nodded slowly. "I guess I probably could."

"Has she been sick for long?"

Cindy frowned. "Long enough that I should have noticed."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we want our loved ones to be well so badly that we convince ourselves that they are. The important thing is that she's going to make it." The nurse smiled gently at Cindy. 

Cindy smiled back in spite of herself. "Damn, baby sister, you should be a psychologist, not a nurse."

The nurse smiled and blushed as she replaced the almost-empty IV bag with the fresh one. "Actually, I'm saving up to go to grad school in psychology."

"Oh." Cindy smiled. "You'll be good at it."

"Thank you, ma'am." The nurse smiled. "You shoudl go now."

"Yeah. Thanks." Cindy smiled and turned to leave. Tavi's hand twitched in hers as she loosened her grip on it. "Tavi?" she whispered, bending over her.

Tavi's eyes fluttered. "Baby, you look like a wet dog..." she croaked.

The nurse startled and quickly left to find a doctor.

Cindy laughed and pulled Tavi into a tight hug. "Damn, baby, you had us worried..." she whispered, kissing her.

Tavi smiled weakly and kissed Cindy back. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have told you."

"No shit, baby!" 

"I didn't want you to worry, though. I wanted us to be happy..." Tavi trailed off, panting.

"Don't try to talk, baby. You're still pretty weak." Cindy sat down next to the bed again, taking her hand.

Tavi nodded slowly. "How long do I have?"

"You're not dying, dumb-ass."

"What?" Tavi frowned. "But..."

"You were _sick_. With a disease. As far as Jinx can tell, the X7 DNA hasn't reactivated. You're not going to die."

Tavi smiled. "We all die eventually."

"Mmm. Not if I have anything to say about it."

Tavi laughed at her, or tried to. The result was a rather alarming rasp. "God, I was going to miss you, Cindy."

"Think you can get rid of me that easy?" Cindy laughed. 

"Guess not." Tavi rested her head against the pillow and glanced up at her IVs. "What are they giving me?"

Cindy shrugged. "Jinx should know."

Jinx stuck her head into the room. "Saline, morphine, and an anti-viral. Welcome back, Doctor."

Tavi smiled. "Good to be back." Her smile became a frown. "I feel so weak."

"Of course you do." Jinx shook her head. "You had encephalopathy."

"Brain fever?" Tavi closed her eyes. "I didn't do anything... psychotic, did I?"

Jinx shrugged. "Well, you screamed at Ray pretty good."

"And you recruited _Lydecker_ to help you cure the virus..." Max added quietly from the door.

"Deck? Is he here?"

Logan nodded. "Outside. You know, if he hadn't called us, you  might not have made it."

Lydecker shrugged and entered the now-crowded hospital room.

"Deck? Is that you?" Tavi frowned. "I don't remember. What happened?"

The nurse returned, towing a doctor. "Time enough for that later. Right now, everyone who's not family is going to have to leave."

"They're all my family..." Tavi assured her.

The nurse eyed Cindy curiously. "All of them?"

"Yup." Tavi smiled and squeezed Cindy's hand. 

The nurse shrugged. "If you say so. But they are going to have to give the doctor room to work, and that means getting clear of the bed."

***

The first visible sign of Tavi's recovery occured when she gained three pounds within a week of her hospitalization. Her strength and coordination were slower in returning, however, much to her constant annoyance.

"Damnit, Bling..." she sighed, grabbing onto him for support when her knees buckled. "I'm never going to get this."

"Give it time, Tav." He smiled comfortingly and carried her back to the bed. "You're really recovering quite well, all things considered. I've seen people with milder forms of brain-fever who have had a lot more trouble recovering than you are. Be grateful." 

Tavi rolled her eyes. "I'll be grateful when I can walk from my bed to the latrine without help."

Bling smiled. "Cindy was right about you. You're fiesty."

"Somehow, I doubt that's the word she used." Tavi smiled weakly at him as he helped her into bed and covered her up.

"Well, okay, so it might of been more along the lines of 'hard-assed bitch', but I'm sure she meant it in a complimentary way." Bling smiled at her. "Can I get you anything before I go?"

She shook her head. "I'll probably just sleep for a few days."

He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Max and Cindy should be here in a couple of minutes. Do you want me to wait?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I've got the call-button if I need anything."

He grinned. "Suit yourself. See you."

"Thanks, Bling. For everything."

"Just doing  my job."

"It's not a job, for people like you, Bling, is it? More of a calling, really."

"Well..." He shrugged. 

She smiled. "I admire that, Bling. You're a good person."

"Thank you, Tav." He smiled and shook her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it."

"Liar!" Bling called as he left.

"What are we lying about today?" Cindy asked, entering. 

Tavi shook her head. "Nothing. I just told Bling that I was looking forward to our next session."

"Baby, I did not know you were into masochism." Cindy grinned at her. "How's it going?"

Tavi shrugged. "My mind's kind of foggy, and I'm uncoordinated and weak, and I tire _so_ easily..."

Cindy silenced her with a kiss. "But you're gaining weight and looking gorgeous. I never thought I'd meet someone who could make one of those gowns look hot."

"Only when I bend over." Tavi grinned at her. "How's Jinx doing?"

"She's fine. She moved in with Logan until you get back."

Tavi smiled. "He'll take good care of her."

"Of course, she only ever peeks out of that lab of yours to work and sleep."

Tavi smiled. "I'll talk to her about the importance of a well-balanced life."

"Like you'd know. You used to do the same thing."

Tavi nodded guiltily. "I know. I just..."

"Wanted to find them a cure before you died?" Cindy asked gently.

Tavi nodded. "Everything was just so confused. _I_ was so confused..." She shook her head. "It was like... a waking dream. Logan, Max, _you_..."

"Me?"

"Too good to be true in real life." Tavi smiled faintly at her. After a short pause, she continued, "I don't know, Cindy. I guess I was running a pretty high fever for most of our relationship."

"Gee, that's comforting." Cindy looked uncertainly at her. "And now that the fever's gone?"

Tavi smiled. "You look even better to me." 

Cindy smiled. "Thanks."

"I mean it." She took Cindy's hand in hers. "Is Jinx making any progress on the virus?" she asked hopefully.

Cindy hesitated then shook her head. "Apperantly most of your notes reflect your mental state when you were sick. She's still decihpering them."

"Great..." Tavi shook her head in disgust. "I hope there's no poetry in them..."

"I didn't know you wrote poetry. Is that where Logan gets it from?"

"Could be." Tavi shrugged. "I guess we got a lot of our best traits from each other. He's a good man. He'll be good for Max."

Cindy smiled and nodded. "I think so. I used to hate him."

"He told me. You thought he was her pusher or something?"

Cindy nodded. "Honest mistake."

Tavi grinned at her. "That's what he said. But you like him now?"

Cindy nodded. "He's good for her in a lot of ways. I just wish they didn't have this virus to contend with."

"Me too. And now that I'm better maybe I'll be able to make some _actual_ progress on it."

Cindy smiled and nodded. "And once you have, I get you all to myself."

"Well, you and Jinx."

"Jinx?" Cindy asked, blinking. 

Tavi grinned at her response. "The child needs a mother. She may be an X5, but she's still just a kid, and she has problems."

Cindy nodded. "You'll take care of her, just like you do with Max."

Tavi shrugged. "Hopefully a little better than I've taken care of Max."

"You're too hard on yourself, baby. You've done a great job with Max." Cindy smiled at her. "Tired?"

"A little."

"Okay, then, I'll let you sleep. See you tommorrow?"

Tavi nodded. "Tell everyone hi."

"Will do, baby. Sleep well."

"Cindy?" Tavi asked, so softly that Cindy almost did not hear her.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Do you still love me?"

Cindy shook her head at the question. "Of _course_ I do!" 

"I thought maybe you were mad at me for not telling you I was sick."

"Just a little, but that doesn't change how I feel."

Tavi smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Cindy."


	7. Happily Ever After... More or Less

Chapter 7 -- Happily Ever After... More or Less 

Tavi had assumed that her life would get less frustrating when she was released from the hospital, but she had been wrong. She had never realized how much effort went into making breakfast in the morning, or taking a shower, or working in the lab. The others did what they could to help, but this only increased her general level of frustration. She cried herself to sleep most nights, and frequently threw things when frustrated. Jinx quietly assured the others that these mood-swings would diminish as she recovered, but they were all worried.

"God, I feel like a newborn kitten!" she complained to Logan one afternoon after her physical-therapy session with Bling had ended.

"I know you do, Tavi, but Bling and Jinx both say that you're getting better."

She nodded bitterly. "So slowly that I don't even notice any improvement at all. It's not fair!" She angrily rubbed at her watering eyes. "And _this_ has got to stop."

"Jinx says that it's fairly common for people with brain damage to have emotional difficulties."

"Easy to say, harder to deal with." Tavi rubbed her suddenly throbbing forehead. "Great, now I'm going to need a shot of morphine and I won't be good for anything all day. It's not fair, Lo."

Logan brought her prescription and sat down next to her as she administered it. "Trust me, Tavi, I _do_ know the feeling."

Tavi looked up, surprised. "Oh, that's right. I guess you would. I'd almost forgotten." She capped the needle and dropped it on the coffee table. "Ten years ago, if you had told me that this is how my life would be, I would have laughed in your face."

"Ditto." Logan nodded and smiled at her. "My mother used to say that life is what happens while you're making other plans."

"She was a wise woman, Lo." Although she was still crying, she smiled. "A lot of it rubbed off on you."

He grinned back at her and wiped her eyes. "You're going to be just fine, Tavi, trust me."

She sighed and nodded. "I do, Lo, I'm just so frustrated." She leaned against him as the morphine started to take effect.

"Dizzy?"

"Just a little. I'll be fine." She pushed herself back into an upright position and smiled at him. "God, look at the two of us."

"None of this would have ever happened if you'd married me when I'd asked you to..." Logan pointed out.

"But then you would never have met Max and I would never have met Cindy."

"Which would have sucked for both of us." Logan smiled at her.

"You know, I'm not sure that any of us are ever going to have a happily ever after, but I think we're going to be alright."

Logan smiled and nodded. "I think so, too."

"I've got Jinx on Paxil."

"Really?" Logan smiled. "Is that working for her?"

She nodded. "It seems to be. She says it's better than Prozac." Tavi laughed. 

Logan laughed and shook his head. "Coming from Jinx, that's high praise for a drug."

"She's even having the nightmares less often now."

"That's good. The things she's been through, she deserves to have a good life from now on."

Tavi smiled at him. "Mister Idealism. That's why the girls love you."

Logan scoffed. "So far, though, Max is pretty much the only straight woman I've ever dated. Except my ex."

Tavi sniggered and shook her head. "Poor Logan. You just have the worst luck, don't you?"

He nodded. "Want to lie down?"

"Yeah, I think I'd better." Tavi nodded and started to climb to her feet. "You know, on second thought, the guest-room is kind of far away. You mind if I just rest my eyes on the couch?"

Logan smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. I'll get you a blanket."

"Thanks." Tavi smiled at him and stretched out on the couch. When he brought the blanket out and covered her, she said, "You're a good friend, Lo. I could have done a lot worse for a husband."

He smiled and tucked her in. "I could have done a lot worse for a wife."

"Lucky for us we both came to our senses in time." Tavi smiled at him, then looked suddenly serious. "I'm going to find a cure for the virus, Logan, no matter what it takes. I promise."

"I know you will." Logan smiled and kissed her forehead. "I have complete faith in you."

"Good for you." Tavi smiled at him and yawned.

"Sleep well, Tavi."

"Thanks, Lo." 

***

Logan sat on top of the Space-Needle, staring thoughtfully at the city bellow. Max was right. At night it was beautiful, peaceful.

"I thought you were scared of heights."

Logan looked up with a smile. "Evening, Max. Care to join me?"

She nodded and sat down. "What're you thinking about?"

He shrugged. "Stuff."

"Tavi?"

He nodded. "I know that she's going to be okay, but I'm worried."

"The mood-swings and the headaches?" Max asked.

He nodded. "They're so hard on her. I worry."

Max grinned slyly at him. "Maybe I can help..."

"What?" Logan stared curiously at her, smiling. "Max?"

"I was talking to Jinx earlier tonight."

"Really?" Logan smiled. "You know, Tavi says that the anxiety's getting a lot better."

Max nodded. "It shows. She seems a lot more confident in herself."

Logan smiled. "That's good." He glanced at her. "So, you were talking to Jinx today?"

"Yeah." Max nodded and lapsed back into silence.

"No fair teasing!" Logan protested with a grin, resisting the temptation to take a swipe at her. He _wanted_ to wrestle her to the ground and _kiss_ the information out of her, but that was not going to happen until Tavi or Lydecker came through with a cure. 

Max, who seemed to sense his thoughts, smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll stop. Since you're the last one to know, I guess it's not fair to keep you in the dark."

"Last one to know _what_?"

"About Tavi."

"_What_ about Tavi?" Logan asked, shaking his head. She was actually _enjoying_ making him suffer.

"Well, Jinx just got the results of her last PET scan back, and compared them against the previous two, and, well..." Max shrugged. "She's getting better."

"What?" Logan asked, frowning. 

"She's recovering brain-function that the doctors, and Jinx, had assumed would be permanently lost."

"How is that possible, though?"

"I'll give you three guesses."

Logan frowned. "The Manticore DNA?"

Max nodded. "That's what Jinx thinks, anyway."

"Wow." Logan smiled. "That's... amazing."

Max grinned and nodded. "Sure is. As far as Jinx can tell, and Lydecker seems to agree, part of the X7 intellect-boosting gene-sequence was a built-in ability for the brain to repair itself, even in adults."

"Wow..." Logan breathed. "So, that stupid stunt that she pulled ten years ago is actually _helping_ her?"

"More than that." Max leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if afraid of being overheard. "Jinx thinks it might actually have saved her life."

"Wow, again." Logan shook his head. "Unbelievable."

Max smiled and nodded. "Jinx says that her brain probably started repairing itself as soon as she got sick, and that, if it hadn't, the delay in getting treatment would have killed her."

Logan shook his head and began laughing gently. "Unbelievable."

Max grinned and nodded. "You know, the only thing this story needs for a happy ending?"

"A kiss?" Logan sighed.

Max nodded. "Oh well. Soon."

Logan smiled up at her. "_Very_ soon, I hope."


End file.
